John Horn and Nicole Sperling at The LA Times took a look at the secretive organization that determines the winners of the academy awards. Some of the things they found include:

• There are almost 6000 voting members that decide who wins the Oscars.
• Among those members 94% are Caucasian. Blacks make up 2% and Latinos make up less than 2%. The academy is 77% male. The median age is 62, and 86% are over the age of 50.
• The older average age of the academy award voters might have been the reason why The Social Network – a movie about the latest trends in technology – lost out to The King’s Speech – a movie about the British Royal Family – for the Best Picture Oscar.
• There are three ways to become a candidate for selection to the voting committee:
  • Be nominated for an Oscar
  • Apply and receive a recommendation from existing members
  • Receive an endorsement from senior members of the committee
• Once you become a candidate, a vote is taken and you must win a majority to be offered membership. If you accept, then you receive lifetime membership.
• Lifetime membership means that the votes of some of the greatest stars such as George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg count for as much as individuals who have had less success, or have even left the industry entirely.

To read more about the Academy’s attempts to diversify itself, how the different branches integrate with one another, and why the voting process favours older individuals click here.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Via: Salon