Why are the Oscar nominations more diverse than the Golden Globes?
The Oscar nominations have long served as a benchmark for how Hollywood measures progress on representation. The 93rd Academy Awards brought measurable gains over the Golden Globes that year, particularly in director and lead categories, even as the industry continued to reckon with decades of exclusion.
The nominations
Chloé Zhao received a Best Director nomination for Nomadland, becoming the first woman of color recognized in that category across the Academy’s history. The same year also placed three women and two Asian directors in the category. Zhao later won the Oscar, and Nomadland took Best Picture. These outcomes built on her earlier Golden Globe win as the first woman of Asian descent to claim that directing prize.
Other historical nominations
Chadwick Boseman earned a posthumous Best Actor nomination for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Riz Ahmed became the first Muslim actor nominated for Best Lead Actor for Sound of Metal, while Steven Yeun made history as the first Asian American in the category for Minari. In supporting roles, Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, and Leslie Odom Jr. all received nods. Yuh-Jung Youn earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Minari as the first Korean actress recognized. Viola Davis collected her fourth acting nomination for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Andra Day was nominated for The United States vs. Billie Holiday after winning the corresponding Golden Globe.
Academy Inclusion Standards Implementation
After the 93rd ceremony, the Academy adopted formal representation and inclusion standards for Best Picture eligibility beginning with the 96th Oscars. Films must now satisfy at least two of four criteria covering on-screen representation, creative leadership, industry access, and audience development. The policy directly addresses the structural barriers the article’s subjects faced and provides a measurable framework for future eligibility rather than relying solely on voter discretion.
Diversity Trends in Subsequent Years
The 93rd Oscars posted 24 percent of nominees from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Later cycles showed some fluctuation, with 20 percent in 2024. Women nominees in non-acting categories reached 33 percent in 2026, matching the prior high. These figures indicate that the 2021 gains did not automatically compound, yet they established a baseline that later classes could reference when tracking whether incremental improvements held steady.
Impact on Voting Membership
Academy membership remained majority white, with roughly 81 percent of voters identifying as white in 2022. Ongoing recruitment efforts have aimed to broaden that pool across gender, race, and international representation. The article’s discussion of historical exclusion gains context from these membership numbers, since the composition of the electorate directly shapes which performances and films receive nominations year after year.
Comparison with Other Major Awards Shows Post-2021
The Golden Globes drew parallel criticism around the same period for limited diversity in its television categories. While the Oscars introduced formal standards, other major awards organizations pursued varied adjustments, from expanded voting bodies to revised eligibility rules. The contrast underscores that no single ceremony operates in isolation and that sustained change requires coordinated pressure across multiple institutions rather than isolated course corrections.
The 93rd Oscars marked a visible shift in who received recognition at the highest levels, yet the data that followed shows how fragile those advances remain without institutional guardrails. Tracking membership composition, eligibility standards, and cross-awards comparisons offers a clearer picture of whether the industry’s stated commitments translate into lasting patterns rather than one-off milestones.
