The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a prestigious organization that participates in voting the Oscars, has invited legendary hero Kamal Haasan and multi-talented star Ayushmann Khurrana to be their member. They belong to the 534 new artists world wide who this year received invitations to become members of the Academy. This will enable the two Indian actors to participate in voting of the winners at the Oscars and become part of a community of film professionals the world over.
The official announcement of the list of new invitees was made by the Academy on June 26 using the official Academy web page as well as social networking accounts. The new group also consists of the world-known celebrities: Ariana Grande, Mikey Madison, Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Margaret Qualley, Sebastian Stan, and Jeremy Strong. Other Indian names also have managed to get into this prestigious list. Among them we have casting director Karan Mally, cinematographer Ranabir Das, costume designer Maxima Basu and documentary filmmaker Smriti Mundhra. Payal Kapadia, a filmmaker who has recently received international recognition with her film All We Imagine as Light, is another invited artist.
In addition to actors and filmmakers, representatives of the entertainment business, including TV host Jimmy Kimmel, singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, music producer Andrew Watt, jazz musician Branford Marsalis, and comedian and TV host Conan O Brien have also been invited. Expressing their excitement over the invitees this year, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement, “We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy. Through their commitment to filmmaking and to the greater movie industry, these exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community.”
Given that all the invited members accept the offer, the total number of Academy members would go to 11,120, out of which 10,143 would be voting members. These members own more than 60 non-United States countries and territories, which are making the Academy increasingly global.
The award ceremony of the 98th Academy Awards would take place on March 15, 2026. The 2026 Oscars will reportedly include multiple rule changes, such as the requirement to watch films before submitting a vote, the introduction of the new casting category, the establishment of the guidance on the use of AI elements in movie production, and new deadlines in categories like the Best Picture, music, or short films. The nominations of the 2026 Oscars will be announced on the January 22, 2026.
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