BAFTA 2020 nominations criticised for 'infuriating' lack of diversity

7 January 2020, 17:34

The hashtag #BAFTASsowhite has stormed social media after the lack of representation of people of colour and women in the nominations was criticised.

BAFTA bosses have acknowledged the "infuriating" and "disappointing" lack of diversity in the some of the category shortlists.

Bafta's deputy chairman, Krishnendu Majumdar, said the lack of female nominees in the best director category is an "industry-wide problem" and that Bafta is "fiercely doing something about it".

Little Women's Greta Gerwig has not been nominated in the director category, which is all-male this year, and no films made by women have been nominated in the best film category.

The nominations for the lead actor BAFTA are Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver, Taron Egerton, Joaquin Phoenix and Jonathan Pryce.

The supporting actor nominees are Tom Hanks for A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Sir Anthony Hopkins for The Two Popes, Al Pacino for The Irishman, Joe Pesci for The Irishman and Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood.

Margot Robbie has scored two nominations in the supporting actress category for her roles in Bombshell and Once Upon A Time... in Hollywood. The other nominees are Laura Dern for Marriage Story, Scarlett Johansson for Jojo Rabbit and Florence Pugh for Little Women.

The films nominated for the best film BAFTA are 1917, The Irishman, Joker, Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood and Parasite.

BAFTA chief executive Amanda Berry has said it is "disappointing" that all of the acting nominees for this year's film awards are white and there are no female directors recognised.

She said: "Being totally honest we are disappointed and that is not to take anything away from the people who have been nominated.

"We do have 13 directors nominated who are females across other categories, so everybody from Jennifer Lee who directed Frozen 2, and this is what gives me joy and hope actually, six female directors in the shorts category and that is the category where we are really seeing talent at the start of their career and they are the industry of the future but we are going to do more, we are not going to stop pushing."

Marc Samuelson, chair of BAFTA's film committee, called the lack of diversity "infuriating".

He added: "We can't make the industry do something, all we can do is encourage and push and inspire and try to help people coming in at the bottom end.

"There are some good signs, if you take all the nominations it's up to about 36% female and it's been rising every year and that is pretty much doubled over the last couple of years so that is a really good sign and that is across all categories, which is very interesting, because obviously a lot of those are craft, which is also very important.

"Keep going on that and maybe in another couple of years we are over 40% and are heading towards parity, which would be great.

"It doesn't take anything away from the issue in the acting categories but nonetheless it's something and things are moving."

BAFTA faced similar criticism in 2017, and last year pledged to do more to achieve "seismic" changes.

The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was also coined five years ago to criticise the lack of diversity in Hollywood.