The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, have been awarded annually since 1929 for excellence in film. The Oscars are generally seen as the most prestigious award in the film industry, televised live in more than 100 different countries and watched by approximately 40 million people in the United States alone. But who decides who actually gets to take home an Oscar? This infographic was produced by the LA Times as part of an investigation into the age, race and gender demographics of the nearly 6,000 people who vote for the Oscars. The results show that the Academy Awards voters are overwhelmingly white, mostly male and a majority are over the age of 60.

discussion

Do you think the demographics of the Oscar voters matter? Or would voters of any age, ethnicity or gender select the same winners in a given year?

How does the demographic composition of the Oscar voters compare with the demographic composition of moviegoers?

The infographic says the Oscar voters are becoming more diverse. At what point will proper diversity be achieved? Is there a specific percentage of diversity that should be aimed for? Why or why not?