In lieu of this year’s so-called “White Oscars,” Def Jam co-founder and media mogul Russell Simmons has announced he will host his own movie awards ceremony, which is set to debut just days before the 88th Academy Awards.
Hollywood titan Steven Spielberg became the latest industry figure to weigh in on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy on Thursday, saying in an interview that he does not believe there is “inherent or dormant racism” in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and that he is “not 100 percent” supportive of the Academy’s dramatic rule changes to increase diversity within the organization.
This year’s Oscar broadcast could be a lot less boring as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday that acceptance speeches can no longer contain the endless lists of “thank yous” that have become a staple at the awards ceremony.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Top Academy Award nominees will have a special gift in their swag bag this year – a luxury trip to Israel paid for in part by a government that hopes such celebrity junkets will balance coverage of the country’s
In an interview at the Academy Awards nominee luncheon in Beverly Hills on Monday, Sylvester Stallone said he had considered joining in the boycott of this year’s Oscars to protest its lack of diversity, but then changed his mind when he consulted the director of the film responsible for getting him there.
ABC has refused to air a trailer for the lesbian romantic drama “Carol” on its network due to a scene in which lead actresses Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara appear naked in bed together.
President Obama reacted to the controversy sweeping the Oscars after critics complained that not enough people of color were nominated this year for important categories.
Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has weighed in on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, saying in a recent interview that the recent rule changes implemented at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to promote diversity were “overdue.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has posted a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section on its website in response to mounting criticism from longtime members over the organization’s recently announced diversity initiative, which many see as an overt effort to purge older Academy members of their voting rights.
Longtime members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) are speaking out after the organizations’ Board of Governors voted unanimously Thursday to approve a dramatic overhaul of its voting rules and organizational structure in an effort to increase diversity at the Oscars and across the broader film industry.
Joining Straight Out Compton producer Ice Cube, who called the “Oscars So White” Academy Awards controversy “ridiculous,” is actor Malik Yoba–who told his fans via Instagram that “being included” in Hollywood “is not a given.”
Just hours after declaring that she wishes she were “African American because people don’t bash them,” two-time Oscar Award winning actress Julie Delpy says she is “very sorry for how I expressed myself.”
This week on NBC, “Saturday Night Live” did a knock-off of the Oscars called the “Screen Guild Awards.” The faux-awards show was an obvious shot at the Oscars for lacking in black nominees this year. All of the nominees for best actor were
Fox News contributor Stacey Dash created quite the controversy this week when she suggested that black entertainers who support self-segregation–à la BET and Black History Month–are hypocrites for trashing the lack of black Oscar nominees. Now Dash is hitting back against her critics.
Considering the massive amount of media attention the lack of black Oscar nominations is receiving, you would think the “Oscars So White” issue is the most consequential calamity facing black Americans since slavery.
Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo says he will attend this year’s Academy Awards, but supports the growing boycott movement against the ceremony and hopes it “opens the way” for Hollywood to embrace the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
Tuesday on MSNBC’s “All In,” liberal documentary filmmaker Michael Moore discussed the controversy involving the lack of African-American Oscar nominations, which were announced earlier this week. The absence of African-American nominees has led Jada Pinkett and Spike Lee to boycott
Snoop Dogg launched a profanity-laced tirade against the Academy Awards this week, saying he won’t be tuning into the “bulls–t” awards show this year.
Someone called Spike Lee is threatening to boycott this year’s Oscars for having failed to include a sufficient quota of black talent on their nominations list. This is an excellent campaign and one I shall definitely support once I’ve managed
Janet Hubert, best known for playing Will Smith’s “Aunt Viv” on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, is blasting the actor and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, over the race controversy surrounding the 88th Academy Awards.
Academy Award-winning director Alejandro G. Inarritu says he feels sorry for Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump—because Trump’s strong stance on illegal immigration stems “from ignorance.”
Quentin Tarantino’s latest film The Hateful Eight is in the midst of a box office meltdown, and one police union head claims the film’s financial failure is all due to a promised boycott from the boys in blue.
The Rev. Al Sharpton ripped Hollywood after the Academy Award nominations were announced Thursday morning, with black actors completely shut out of each of the four top acting categories for a second straight year.
Quentin Tarantino was snubbed by Academy voters Thursday, with the writer-director’s latest film, The Hateful Eight, failing to earn a nomination in any of the major categories at this year’s Academy Awards.
Transgender-themed Oscar favorite “The Danish Girl” has been pulled from cinemas in Qatar after the film failed to clear the country’s censor board.
Jennifer Lawrence scolded a reporter at the Golden Globes Sunday night for apparently looking down at his cellphone while he asked her a question in the press room. Lawrence picked up her third Golden Globe, Best Actress for her role
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) could see a resurgence of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy it endured last year if the organization does not nominate any people of color for acting honors at this year’s Academy Awards, a possibility seen as increasingly likely by many Hollywood awards insiders.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Rock is coming back to host the Oscars for a second time.
At the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, Director Michael Moore used the world premiere of his latest film, Where to Invade Next, to help draw attention to Meryl Streep’s Equal Rights Amendment advocacy.
Emmy-award winning producer Andre Bauth, who was accused earlier this month of stabbing his tenant after he allegedly mocked him for saying he would win five Academy Awards, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, the
After facing pointed criticism for a perceived lack of racial and gender diversity in this year’s Oscar nominations, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced a two-pronged strategy to ensure the awards selection process is more inclusive.
Actor Sean Penn unapologetically responded to questions about his Alejandro Iñárritu green card Oscars joke on Saturday in Beverly Hills, CA, and instead opted to blame a “xenophobic” country for the controversy.
Actress Mo’Nique Hicks, who won an Academy Award in 2010 for her role in the film Precious and said in February she had been “blackballed” by the film industry, is now comparing her struggles with those of Martin Luther King Jr.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor gave his own version of the Academy Awards during a UN session in New York this week. The “Oscars for Maintenance of International Peace and Security” mockingly awarded Iran, Hezbollah, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinians with Oscars in its very own special categories.
Disney star Zendaya attended red carpet ceremonies prior to Sunday’s 87th Academy Awards, sporting dreadlocks with her white dress. She was later ridiculed by E! Fashion Police host Giuliana Rancic, who didn’t seem too fond of the style.
While Birdman may have cleaned up at the 87th Academy Awards, the film’s lead, Michael Keaton, did not. Contrary to his expectations, Keaton failed to take home the Best Actor award.
Fans’ hopes for a Fifty Shades of Grey sequel appear to be dashed this week, after leading man Jamie Dornan revealed he would be walking away from the series after his wife expressed discomfort with the film’s sadistic sex scenes.
The 87th annual Academy Awards were a bit of a letdown; there were no real surprises in any of the major categories, winners’s acceptance speeches got too political, and there was a shortage of good performances (apart from an outstanding turn from Lady Gaga channeling Julie Andrews).
During the most political Academy Awards ceremony in years, an event filled with partial nudity, political statements, and a lot of farcical back patting, Hollywood’s elite once again gathered to secularly wrap up another year in film.
Sunday night’s Academy Awards was littered with political commentary, with Best Director winner Alejandro González Iñárritu no exception as he dedicated Birdman’s Best Picture win to his fellow Mexicans, “who live in Mexico.” Iñárritu’s comments echo prior statements made by last year’s Best Director and fellow Mexican, Alfonso Cuarón, slamming Mexican government officials over systematic corruption.
