The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its 2026 membership class this week, inviting 529 new film artists and professionals to join the Oscar voting body. Among this year’s invitees: actors Jacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega, Josh O’Connor, Mia Goth, Julia Garner, Jon Bernthal, Bill Skarsgård, Teyana Taylor, Stephen Fry, Jenny Slate, Jemaine Clement, Mathieu Amalric, Anthony Ramos, and Tig Notaro. Directors Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Zach Cregger, and Raven Jackson also received invitations.
The class extends beyond filmmakers. Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro and New York Film Festival director Dennis Lim are also among those invited. Nine invitees received bids from multiple branches and must select one. The 2026 class includes 95 Oscar nominees, among them 21 winners, alongside three Scientific and Technical Awards recipients.
In terms of composition, this year’s invitees are 42% women, 56% from underrepresented communities, and 53% from 60 countries outside the United States. If all accept, the Academy’s total membership will reach 11,319, with 10,338 eligible voting members. The Academy’s full membership across all branches now stands at 36% women, 25% from underrepresented communities, and 22% international.
“We are delighted to invite this remarkable group of film artists and professionals from around the world to join the Academy,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a joint statement.
The new class arrives as Oscar campaign season for the 99th Academy Awards, set for 2027, begins to take shape. Their votes will help determine which films, performances, and craft achievements reach the nomination stage.