Oscars announce new members added to improve diversity

"Creed" star Michael B. Jordan is among the Academy's new members.

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Credit: Jennifer Brett

"Creed" star Michael B. Jordan is among the Academy's new members.

Maybe #OscarsSoWhite won't trend for a third year in a row. More than 600 new voting members, many of them artists of color, have been added to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' roster.

PAST: Critics blast lack of diversity among Oscar nominations

Sylvester Stallone, left, earned a Golden Globe and was Oscar-nominated for his role in "Creed." The movie's star, Michael B. Jordan, is among hundreds of new Academy members added to improve diversity.

Credit: Jennifer Brett

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Credit: Jennifer Brett

"We're proud to welcome these new members to the Academy, and know they view this as an opportunity and not just an invitation, a mission and not just a membership," said Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs in a statement.

April 3, 2012 - ATLANTA: Actors (left to right) Regina Hall, LaLa Anthony, and Gabrielle Union on the red carpet during the premiere of "Think Like a Man" movie at the Regal Atlantic Station on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. T Johnny Crawford jcrawford@ajc.com Gabrielle Union is a new Academy voting member. AJC file photo: Johnny Crawford

Credit: Jennifer Brett

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Credit: Jennifer Brett

New members include

Ice Cube

, whose "Straight Outta Compton" was among the projects and casts seen as snubbed last go-round;

Tessa Thompson

and her “Creed” co-star

Michael B. Jordan

(

Sylvester Stallone

won a best-supporting Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Creed");

Chadwick Boseman

, who portrayed

James Brown

in “Get On Up” and is set to star in a future Marvel movie, “Black Panther;”

Vivica A. Fox, Gabrielle Union, Anika Noni Rose, Damon Wayans, Jr

.,

 Mahershala Ali, Anthony Anderson, Loretta Devine

and

John Boyega

.

"This class continues our long-term commitment to welcoming extraordinary talent reflective of those working in film today," Boone Isaacs said. "We encourage the larger creative community to open its doors wider, and create opportunities for anyone interested in working in this incredible and storied industry."

The lack of diversity among nominations became a main theme of this year's awards event.

Oscars host Chris Rock posted this photo of himself refining his monologue shortly before the awards ceremony began.

Credit: Jennifer Brett

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Credit: Jennifer Brett

The lack of diversity led some to urge Oscars boycotts. Actor and recording artist Tyrese Gibson said Rock should have refused to host: "There is no joke he can crack, there is no way he can seize the moment. The statement that you make is you step down."

"Compton," the powerful drama about the rap group N.W.A.  was nominated for best original screenplay ("Spotlight" won) but didn't draw a best-picture nod or any best acting nominations. Ice Cube, whose son portrayed him in the film, wasn't upset.

"I was so proud of my son and so proud of us to get that movie done – I wasn't worried about no Oscars, to be honest," he said during a visit to Ellen DeGeneres' talk show . "The fans loved the movie, people loved the movie all over the world. To me that's what it was about. It wasn't about the Oscar."

Ice Cube, left, shown with Will Packer and Kevin Hart at the Atlanta premiere of "Ride Along." AJC file photo

Credit: Jennifer Brett

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Credit: Jennifer Brett