People were outraged at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for snubbing people of color after the nominees of the 73rd British Academy Film Awards were revealed to be all white.
- Jan 7, 2020
AceShowbiz - BAFTA bosses have come under fire after snubbing people of colour - including British Golden Globes nominee Cynthia Erivo - in all the major acting categories at the British Academy Film Awards.
The nominations were announced on Tuesday, January 7, 2020, but critics were quick to point out the lack of non-white actors selected in any of the major categories.
Anger quickly erupted on social media, with some calling the nominations a "joke" and Empire magazine journalist Helen O'Hara calling the list of nominees a "s**t show."
Notable snubs included "Harriet" star Erivo, and fellow Golden Globes nominees, "Hustlers" ' Jennifer Lopez, "Dolemite Is My Name" star Eddie Murphy, "Us" star Lupita Nyong'o, and "The Farewel" l's Awkwafina. The directing category also featured an all-white shortlist.
Furious film fans also pointed out the fact that the lack of people of colour among the nominees came despite Margot Robbie and Scarlett Johansson receiving two nominations each.
Bustle entertainment writer Jefferson Grubbs tweeted, "#BAFTASSoWhite they nominated the same white woman twice in the same category so they wouldn't have to give a slot to a deserving actor of color."
Editors at entertainment platform the British Blacklist also expressed fury at the list of nominees, listing a host of black stars they believed were deserving of nods
"No recognition for Chiwetel Ejiofor's #BoyWhoHarnessedTheWind. Nor Shola Amoo's #TheLastTree, or Rapman's #BlueStory," their post on Instagram reads. "No mention of Cynthia Erivo for #Harriet or Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's #Farming (which is being horrendously overlooked for inexplicable reasons)."
The all-white nominations list will be an embarrassment for BAFTA chiefs, who have pushed to sign up younger, more diverse stars, after previous controversies over past nominations lists.
Only the Rising Star category features a diverse group of nominees, which includes "Top Boy" and "Blue Story" star Micheal Ward, Awakafina, and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
