The 87th annual Oscar nominations were announced Thursday, and there wasn’t a single minority performer nominated across the four acting categories.
The 2015 Academy Award nominees for acting is the least racially diverse in 17 years, according to reports.
David Oyelowo, the British-born Nigerian actor who played the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma” was widely expected to be nominated for Best Actor, but that didn’t happen.
“Selma” director Ava DuVernay was also expected to be nominated for Best Director, but that didn’t happen either. DuVernay made history as the first black woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for directing.
While the director of “Selma” and its actors were shut out of their respective nomination categories, it did get a nod for best picture and best original song.
Last year, there were three minority Oscar nominations: Chiwetel Ejiofor was nominated for his lead role in “12 Years a Slave” and Barkhad Abdi was nominated for his supporting part in “Captain Phillips.” Lupita Nyong’o won the Best Supporting Actress prize for “12 Years a Slave.”
See the full list of the 87th Annual Oscar Nominations HERE.
