For Immediate Release: June 2, 2016 Contact: Christina DiPasquale, 202.716.1953, christina@balestramedia.com
ICYMI: The Los Angeles Times Urges the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to Nominate 100 Diverse Influencers in Entertainment as Members
LAT Includes the National Hispanic Media Coalition president and CEO Alex Nogales; actor Gina Rodriguez; director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon; director Aurora Guerrero; animated film director Jorge Gutierrez; and NALIP executive director Axel Caballero As Candidates for Academy Membership. Today, the Los Angeles Times released a multimedia report listing 100 diverse influencers making a difference in increasing diversity in Hollywood—submitting the names to Academy leaders for consideration. Read the Los Angeles Times piece here: http://lat.ms/1Y48Vz4
The newspaper paired each influencer with the applicable Academy membership branch for which they qualify and highlighted Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, as a candidate for the Associates branch given his three decades of leadership in opening doors for Latinos behind and in front of the camera.
Q&A profile with Alex Nogales here: http://lat.ms/1t3JKBa
Recognizing that "Hollywood has struggled over the years” to find enough diverse candidates to nominate to the various branches of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Los Angeles Times opened their own search for 100 individuals to bring to their attention—with LAT staff writing in the introduction to their piece:
“The academy will soon announce its annual list of candidates for membership, and it has a long way to go to achieve diversity. In a landmark 2012 study, the Los Angeles Times reported that voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the people who decide the Oscars — were 94% white and 77% male.
“In February of this year, The Times updated the study and found that little progress had been made: Oscar voters are now 91% white and 76% male.
“We submit the following 100 names to academy leaders for their consideration."
In its 30 year history, the National Hispanic Media Coalition has worked with numerous individuals, organizations and coalitions to break down barriers and open doors for Latinos and other people of color in the entertainment industry by pressuring executives, talent agencies, TV networks and film studios to recognize the immense talent in our communities and make needed commitments to diversity.
More on the contributions of the National Hispanic Media Coalition under the leadership of Alex Nogales can be found here: http://bit.ly/1ZgfMnr.
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