London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

#BAFTAsSoWhite trending as awards controversy rears its head again

#BAFTAsSoWhite trending as awards controversy rears its head again

The nominees for this year’s BAFTA awards have one thing in common, they’re all white. Commenters have taken to Twitter to complain, under the #BAFTAsSoWhite hashtag.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts unveiled its 2020 nominations on Tuesday, creating a storm of controversy in the process. All of the 18 stars tipped for best actor, actress, supporting actor, and supporting actress, are caucasian. Two actresses, Margot Robbie and Scarlett Johansson, were nominated twice.


Film fans took to Twitter to vent. “Things need to change,” screenwriter Sarah Dollard wrote. “Membership demographics, voting procedure, the levelling of the playing field re screenings & screeners. This can’t happen again.”




Tuesday’s controversy is not the first time a hashtag campaign has been deployed to complain about the supposed lack of diversity in the entertainment industry. The 2015, 2016, and 2017 BAFTAs were also panned for excluding minority actors and actresses. Across the Atlantic, the #OscarsSoWhite campaign kicked off in 2016 too, with even President Barack Obama weighing in, asking Hollywood if people of all races were “getting a fair shot.”

As for whether the movies themselves were any good, that much was lost in the discussion. Commenters on Twitter insisted that actors Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Lopez, Awkwafina, and Cynthia Erivo put in performances worthy of an award. Some cynical commenters disagreed, however, and argued“if you ain’t good enough you don’t deserve a nomination.”

BAFTA’s awards director Emma Baehr addressed the controversy on Tuesday, telling the Hollywood Reporter that her organization would be happy to nominate non-white actors and actresses, if enough films featuring them were submitted for review.

“We’d have liked to have seen more diversity in the nominations, it does continue to be an industry-wide issue,” she said. “I think more films need to be made, and entered, giving people a chance to see them. We’d absolutely like to see more diversity, but I also don’t want to take away from those celebrating today.”

In addition to the race controversy, fans were outraged at BAFTA’s decision to nominate only men in its ‘Best Director’ category, with many complaining that ‘Little Women’ director Greta Gerwig deserved a nomination. Gerwig was also snubbed at the recent Golden Globes, which also featured an all-male shortlist of directors.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×