Irish actors Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe are among the stars who have been invited to become members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The organisation have extended invites to a further 397 members, who will be able to vote for the Oscar nominations and winners if they accept.
Singers Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell, actresses Ariana DeBose and Anya Taylor-Joy, and CODA star Troy Kotsur have also been invited to become members of The Academy.
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In March, Billie and Finneas won an Oscar for Best Original Song with the latest James Bond theme tune ‘No Time To Die’.
If all of the invitees accept their invitations, The Academy’s membership will rise to 10,665, with 9,665 of those eligible to vote for the 95th Oscars on March 12 2023.
According to Variety, the new member class help The Academy improve their diversity initiatives.
The class includes 44% women, while 37% “belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities,” and 50% are from 53 countries and territories outside the United States.
Many new members came off nominations in the 94th Oscar nominations, including Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter), Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog).
There are 71 Oscar nominees, including 15 winners, among the new Oscar class this year.
A number of filmmakers have also been invited to join, however, they must choose one discipline to become an Academy member as.
Pawo Choyning Dorji (Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom), Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car), Siân Heder (CODA) and Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Flee) have all been invited to join the Director’s branch.
Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Flee) has been invited to join under the Director’s branch, as well as the Documentary branch.
Pawo Choyning Dorji (Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom), Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) and Siân Heder (CODA) were also invited under the Director’s branch, as well as the Writers branch.
Other notable directors invited to join The Academy include Rachel Talalay (A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting), Amy Seimetz (She Dies Tomorrow), Andrew Ahn (Fire Island), Gil Kenan (City of Ember) and Mary Lambert (Pet Sematary).
Notable writers invited to join include, Zach Baylin (King Richard), Jeremy O Harris (Zola), Mike Jones (Luca), Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians), Ted Griffin (Ocean’s Eleven), Craig Mazin (Identify Thief), Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell), Randi Mayem Singer (Mrs. Doubtfire), Katie Silberman (Booksmart) and Jon Spaihts (Dune).
Marketing and public relations executive Debra Birnbaum of Amazon, and Gina Pence of Apple were also amongst the list of invitees.
A number of studio executives were invited including Disney’s Dana Walden, 20th Century’s Steve Asbell and Amazon’s Scott Foundas.
