The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended invitations to 529 artists and executives for its 2026 member class, and among those welcomed into the organization’s ranks is a cohort of Black talent spanning actors, directors, composers, editors and beyond.
An Academy invitation is one of the film industry’s most significant forms of institutional recognition. Unlike awards, membership cannot be applied for. Candidates are identified through sponsorship by the executive committees of the Academy’s 19 branches, vetted by a membership committee and approved by the Board of Governors. Oscar nominees are automatically considered in the year of their nomination, but all others must be put forward by their peers. Accepting an invitation means joining a voting body that determines the nominees and winners of the Academy Awards, giving members a direct hand in shaping what the industry celebrates and elevates each year.
This year’s class of 529 includes 95 Oscar nominees, 21 Oscar winners and three Scientific and Technical Award recipients. Of the full invitee pool, 56 percent come from underrepresented communities, a notable jump from the 45 percent reported in the 2025 class, reflecting continued momentum from the Academy’s ongoing push to diversify its ranks in the years following the OscarsSoWhite reckoning. If all invitees accept, total Academy membership will reach 11,319, with 10,338 voting members, surpassing 10,000 for the first time.
Among the 529 are Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Jenna Ortega (Death of a Unicorn), Mia Goth (Frankenstein), Josh O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man), Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Anthony Ramos (A House of Dynamite), Simu Liu (Barbie), and Bill Skarsgard (Dead Man’s Wire) in the actors branch. Director Zach Cregger (Weapons), producer Eli Bush (Marty Supreme), Grammy-winning songwriter Sara Bareilles (Come See Me in the Good Light), casting director Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle after Another), and production designer Monique Champagne (Sinners, Nickel Boys) are also among the invitees. Josh Safdie was notably invited across three branches, directors, film editors and writers, and must choose one upon accepting.
The Black talent invited to join the Academy across branches include:
ACTORS
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (My Father’s Shadow, His House)
Wood Harris (One Battle after Another, Remember the Titans)
Teyana Taylor (One Battle after Another, A Thousand and One)
CINEMATOGRAPHERS — Malik Hassan Sayeed (After the Hunt, He Got Game)
COSTUME DESIGNERS — PC Williams (The Roses, Polite Society)
DIRECTORS
Eugene Ashe (Sylvie’s Love, Homecoming)
Raven Jackson (All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt)
DOCUMENTARY
Christalyn Hampton (The Devil Is Busy, Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story)
Alisa Payne (The Perfect Neighbor, Stamped from the Beginning)
EXECUTIVES
Liz Jenkins
Janine Jones-Clark
Rayne Roberts
FILM EDITORS — Daysha M. Broadway (Ricky, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody)
MAKEUP ARTISTS AND HAIRSTYLISTS — Shunika Terry (Sinners, The Matrix Resurrections)
MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS — Sharon Black
MUSIC
James Fauntleroy (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dolemite Is My Name)
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Seeds, Candyman)
DeVaughn Watts (The Wild Robot, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY — Jamal Sims
SHORT FILMS
Akinola Davies (Lizard, Contactless)
Kryzz Gautier (Chimera, Keep Delete)
Tamika Lamison (Superman Doesn’t Steal, The Magic Bracelet)
WRITERS — Cheo Hodari Coker (Creed II, Notorious)