BAFTA was criticized for the lack of diversity among winners.
BAFTA viewers took to Twitter with the hashtag #BAFTASowhite after many complained that Sunday’s ceremony did not reflect the diversity of talent nominated.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has been criticized after viewers complained that the majority of award winners were white.
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All four winners in the acting categories were white, including Elvis star Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett, who won Best Actress for Tár.
Many viewers believed that non-white actors, including Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, who was nominated for best actress in Everything Everywhere All the Time, were overlooked.
One person tweeted in response to a photo of the winners at the ceremony in London on Sunday, “They are literally all white. @BAFTA should be appalled.” The #BAFTAs and #EEBAFTAs.”
Another commented, “The BAFTA actor awards going to four white actors when Michelle Yeoh, Viola Davis, Daniel Deadwyler, Ke Huy Quan, Angela Bassett, Hong Chau, and Daryl McCormack were nominated for their brilliant performances feels very #BAFTASowhite.”
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While a third complained, “Business as usual is nauseating. Observe how they will attempt to frame it: “In the end, the best people won, regardless of race, etc.” Oh, and we had Alison Hammond and other African-American women presenting and nominated, so we cannot be racist!'”
In 2020, BAFTA faced criticism when twenty of the twenty actors on the shortlist were white.
Prince William, the association’s president, addressed the outrage, stating, “This is not the first time we have discussed the need to do more to ensure diversity in the sector in the awards process. That cannot be acceptable in this day and age.”
Joaquin Phoenix, upon receiving the award for best actor for Joker, stated, “I believe that we send a very clear message to people of color that you are not welcome here,” adding that it was “the responsibility of those who created, perpetuate, and profit from a system of oppression to be the ones to dismantle it.” So it’s our fault.”
During the lockdown, BAFTA consulted approximately 400 individuals, including industry representatives, actors, and directors.
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In September, a review with over 120 changes, including 1,000 new voting BAFTA members and an emphasis on underrepresented groups, was published.
This year, ten of the twenty-four BAFTA performance nominations went to ethnically diverse actors, including Ke Huy Quan and Angela Bassett for supporting roles in Everything Everywhere All at Once and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, respectively.
Associate professor of film, culture, and society at University College London Clive Nwonka, who was consulted by BAFTA, told the New York Times that the awards have “increased visibility of Black and brown people and people of color” in all categories and that they have also “sustained conversations on the theme of diversity and inclusivity.”
However, he noted that it would be “five or six years” before the full impact of the BAFTA’s review could be determined.
Jane Millichip, the chief executive officer of BAFTA, stated, “Every year, we will reassess. Every year, we will take another look. This is not an ideal period.”
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