TV Academy’s Annual Demographics Report Shows Increase in Membership Diversity, but Still Lags in Multiple Identities

Clayton Davis
·3-min read

According to a new demographics report released by the Television Academy, there have been significant gains in diversity and representation among new members. The Academy’s membership has grown significantly over the past few years, from 18,686 reported members in 2021 to 23,198 according to the latest report. Of those, 81.4% of members provided racial demographics in the Academy’s database. Regarding the diversity survey sent out, 11.6% of the members responded.

In partnership with ReadySet, one of the country’s leading culture change consulting firms, the findings indicate that diversity have advanced over the past two years, especially among its newest members. While the progress is worth celebrating, significant work remains. The TV organization aims to exemplify accountability, remaining steadfast in focusing on communication, transparency and feedback opportunities.

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Some of the major takeaways include the percentage of Academy members identifying as a member of a historically marginalized racial or ethnic group increasing by nearly 4% in 2023, compared to 2022.

“We are encouraged by the changes we have seen across the Academy and remain committed to being a catalyst for meaningful progress towards full inclusion across the industry,” said Cris Abrego, Television Academy chair. “The impact report is a vital tool for understanding the Academy’s progress, as well as identifying areas in need of investment for our organization and its leadership as we pursue our goal of fostering a dynamic, supportive and accessible professional community.”

“On the heels of a history-making 75th Emmys, and three years of our collaboration, we’re thrilled to report on the progress made,” said Y-Vonne Hutchinson, CEO & Founder, ReadySet. “The Academy’s improvements in member diversity and perceptions of belonging reflect the intentional and sustainable approach the Academy has taken to improve DEIA. Of course, there is still work to be done to achieve full member engagement, representation and inclusion. We are committed to supporting the Academy in this work, and we are inspired by our partnership and hopeful for what lies ahead.”

Two years ago, the hashtag #EmmysSoWhite began trending when the Emmys failed to award any major acting trophies to people of color. The pendulum swung at the January 2024 strike-delayed ceremony, awarding a record-breaking number of people of color across all major categories — drama, comedy, limited, reality and variety series — in a first in the TV Academy’s history.

The full report can be found on the TV Academy’s website with highlights below.

Membership Demographics

  • White or Caucasian – 69.9% (2023); 73.6% (2022)

  • Black or African American – 10.0% (2023); 9.9% (2022)

  • Latino / Latina / Latinx or Hispanic – 7.9% (2023); 7.6% (2022)

  • Biracial or Multiracial – 5.8 % (2023); 4.7% (2022)

  • East or Southeast Asian – 3.8% (2023); 2.6% (2022)

  • South Asian – 1.3% (2023); 0.6% (2022)

  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – 0.3% (2023); 0.3% (2022)

  • American Indian, Alaska Native, First Nation or Indigenous – 0.3% (2023); 0.2% (2022)

Gender

  • Men – 53.1% (2023), 54.3% (2022)

  • Women – 46.5% (2023), 45.4% (2022)

  • Two-Spirit – 0.5% (2023), 0.4% (2022)

  • Nonconforming or Non-Binary – 0.1% (2023), 0.1% (2022)

Age

  • Age Over 40 (White) — 63.9% (2023), 63.5% (2022)

  • Age Over 40 (HRM) — 30.5% (2023), 28.6% (2022)

  • 40 and Under (White) — 36.1% (2023), 36.5% (2022)

  • 50 and Under (HRM) — 40.3% (2023), 36.6 (2022)

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