'Messed up': Musk slams Oscars's diversity rules in nominations
What's the story
Tech mogul Elon Musk has publicly slammed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over its "Representation and Inclusion Standards" rule for Oscar award nominations. After the 2025 Oscars ceremony at Los Angeles's Dolby Theatre, Musk took to X to voice his disagreement with the standards. He argued that nominations for categories such as Best Picture and acting should be purely merit-based, not dictated by diversity quotas.
Merit-based argument
Musk's statement and the academy's inclusion standards
Musk wrote, "This is messed up. Should just be who is best, not best with an asterisk!" His remarks came in response to the Academy's "Representation and Inclusion Standards," which were introduced in 2020. The guidelines are intended to "encourage equitable representation" in Hollywood by mandating that films include cast and crew members from "underrepresented racial, ethnic, gender, and disability groups" for Best Picture Oscar consideration.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the tweet here
This is messed up. Should just be who is best, not best with an asterisk!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 3, 2025https://t.co/Q2edmvekm4
Diversity requirements
Official guidelines for diversity in Oscar nominations
The Academy's official guidelines mention that at least one lead actor or significant supporting actor in a Best Picture-nominated film must belong to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. These include the African American, Hispanic, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Pacific Islander communities. For ensemble casts, at least 30% of actors in secondary roles must belong to two underrepresented groups, including women, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with cognitive or physical disabilities.
Oscar highlights
'Anora' triumphed at the 97th Academy Awards
The 97th Academy Awards, which took place on Sunday night (US time), saw Anora—a dramedy about a sex worker who marries the pampered son of a Russian oligarch—sweep with five wins. Sean Baker was honored for producing, directing, editing, and writing Anora's screenplay. He became the first person to win four Oscars for the same movie. Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) and Mikey Madison (Anora) won top acting honors.