Yahoo News BAFTA introduces more than 100 changes to address lack of diversity in the awards
BAFTA has introduced more than 120 wide-ranging changes to address the lack of diversity in its awards system.
The changes come as a result of a seven-month review process, which was prompted by the criticism surrounding the lack of diversity in this year's awards.
Not a single actor of colour was nominated at the BAFTAs in February, while women also went unrepresented in the Best Director category.
Related: Joker's Joaquin Phoenix hits out at lack of diversity during powerful winning speech at BAFTAs
Changes to the system will now see 1,000 new members from under-represented groups added to the BAFTA committee, while studios will also be limited in the amount they can spend when campaigning for nominations.
Other changes include an increase in nominations in the acting and directing categories to ensure greater diversity, while all entered films will now be made easily available to voters up to six months before the ceremony.
Speaking of the review, the head of BAFTA's film committee Marc Samuelson said: "It became very clear during the review how vital it is to level the playing field across all that we do as an organisation, not just the awards.
"One of the key issues raised time and time again throughout the process was that too much deserving work was not being seen. The changes we are implementing are designed to ensure these films are seen and judged on merit alone.
"The ambition is for BAFTA to evolve into a more inclusive organisation, one representing and celebrating the full breadth of talent in our industries."
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