Oscars 2016: Outrage as Black actors absent from nomination lineup

No sooner had the nominations been announced at a ceremony in Beverly Hills than the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite began trending on Twitter, as was the case a year ago. However, the only nomination the film received was Best Supporting Actor for Sylvester Stallone’s performance as the ageing Rocky Balboa. Maybe Sly will actually thank Ryan Coogler during his acceptance speech if he wins, unlike at the Golden Globes. Sensing backlash before it was even published, the executive managing editor pre-emptively wrote an open letter titled “Why Every Actress on The Hollywood Reporter Roundtable Cover Is White”: “The terrible truth is that there are no minority actresses in genuine contention for an Oscar this year”, he wrote.

Vanity Fair reports that in its 87-year history the Academy has awarded Oscars to exactly 12 people of colour, out of 44 total nominees.

Straight Outta Compton was a really well-made movie, and it defied expectations of being a rote, misappropriated biopic (which makes the screenwriting nom understandable). But with strong performances from actors such as Will Smith (“Concussion”), Samuel L. Jackson (“The Hateful Eight”), Benicio del Toro (“Sicario”), Idris Elba (“Beasts of No Nation”) and Michael B. Jordan (“Creed”), the lack of diversity in the acting categories is all the more shocking. Film critics have predicted it has an outside chance of being granted a Best Picture nomination, and that announcement will come shortly.

“I think that the way the Academy can stop this is very simple”.

“I feel the same as I felt, you know, yesterday or the day before”. His supporting turn as an African warlord in the powerful drama “Beasts of No Nation” was on many pundits’ lists as a Supporting Actor contender.

Some are so furious that they are urging Hollywood’s array of talented black stars to boycott the Academy Awards in protest. “We’re going to keep pushing it”.

It can be argued that of all the films served up in 2015 for consideration by the Academy, few focused on black stories. “We’re used to people trying to dismiss what we got to say”.

CNN entertainment analyst Chris Witherspoon tweeted: “I’m looking forward to seeing Chris Rock drag the Academy for #OscarsSoWhite… again”.