FILE – An Oscar statue appears outside the Dolby Theatre for the 87th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 21, 2015. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)
The organization behind the Oscars elected over a dozen individuals to its board of governors, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday.
The 2024-2025 board of governors includes both first-timers, like director Patricia Cardoso, and veterans like Rita Wilson, Warner Bros. co-chair and CEO Pam Abdy and composer Lesley Barber.
Those elected to the board for the first time include production designer K.K. Barrett and producer Jennifer Fox. All will join the likes of Ava DuVernay, Lou Diamond Phillips, Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Reitman, Ruth E. Carter and Jason Blum on the 55-person board representing the organization’s 19 branches.
As of this election, representation of those belonging to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group increased from 25% to 27%. Female representation remained static from last year at 53%.
They help oversee the academy’s strategic and financial matters and vote on policies like memberships and awards. The most significant recent change was the announcement that they would add an award for casting directors for films released in 2025 and beyond. The board of governors also decides who will be honored with honorary Oscar statuettes each year at the untelevised event known as the Governors Awards.
The organization is riding high after a successful Oscars ceremony that was widely well-received and saw a boost in viewership. Last month the academy also announced a $500 million fundraising campaign to ensure long-term, global support for its Oscar prizes, museum and educational programming in view of its 100th anniversary in 2028.