The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its newly elected Board of Governors for the 2026-2027 term, welcoming a mix of first-time members, returning incumbents and familiar faces rejoining after a hiatus. The announcement also marks a structural expansion that brings the total board membership to 60.
Under a bylaws amendment approved in February, all 19 Academy branches will now have three branch-elected governors each, adding seats to the Animation, Production and Technology, and Short Films branches. The change adds five branch-elected seats to the board overall. To stagger the new terms, governors in those three branches were elected this year to one-, two- or three-year terms, with the process reverting to the standard cycle in 2027.
Newly elected to the board for the first time are Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro in the Directors Branch, composer Kris Bowers in the Music Branch, Michael Goi in the Cinematographers Branch, Anne Goursaud in the Film Editors Branch, Patricia Dehaney in the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch, Fred Berger in the Producers Branch, Vic Armstrong and David Leitch in the Production and Technology Branch, and Kim Magnusson in the Short Films Branch.
Rejoining the board after a hiatus are animation producer Bonnie Arnold, casting director Bernard Telsey, documentary filmmaker Roger Ross Williams, Bob Rogers in the Short Films Branch and Paul Debevec in the Visual Effects Branch.
Among the incumbents reelected for another term are Lou Diamond Phillips in the Actors Branch, Jinko Gotoh in the Animation Branch, Daniel Orlandi in the Costume Designers Branch, Hannah Minghella in the Executives Branch, David Dinerstein in the Marketing and Public Relations Branch, Wendy Aylsworth in the Production and Technology Branch, Kalina Ivanov in the Production Design Branch, Mark P. Stoeckinger in the Sound Branch and Dana Stevens in the Writers Branch.
As a result of the election, the board is now composed of 47% women and 32% members from underrepresented communities, based on self-reporting.
The board recently announced its honorees for the 17th Governors Awards, where Honorary Oscars will be presented to actress Glenn Close, director Ridley Scott and Disney’s first Black animator Floyd Norman. Producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler will receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.