Karla Sofía Gascón Not Invited to Join the Academy After Oscar Nod
Karla Sofía Gascón, who made history this year as the first openly trans woman to be nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars, will not be voting on future winners. Despite her acclaimed performance in Emilia Pérez, she was notably left out of the 534 people invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to join its membership this year.
Typically, a first-time Oscar nomination automatically qualifies an actor for Academy membership consideration. While this process usually results in an invitation, it’s not a guarantee. Each branch submits recommendations, but final approvals rest with the Academy’s Board of Governors. Gascón becomes only the second Best Actress nominee in the past decade not to receive an immediate invite, the first being Roma star Yalitza Aparicio in 2019.
Past Controversy May Have Played a Role
Earlier this year, Gascón faced criticism after several of her past tweets resurfaced, including remarks seen as racist, anti-Islamic, and anti-vaccine. The controversy gained momentum during Oscar campaign season. Academy CEO Bill Kramer addressed the issue back then, saying, “The Academy does not condone hate speech — I want to be very clear about that,” though he didn’t revoke her invite to the ceremony.
Interestingly, Emilia Pérez co-star Adriana Paz, who wasn’t nominated, was invited, while Zoe Saldaña was already a member. The Academy hasn’t commented on Gascón’s omission. Meanwhile, new invitees include stars like Ariana Grande, Sebastian Stan and Kieran Culkin, adding fresh faces to the Oscars’ voting pool.
ALSO READ: Indian Icons Kamal Haasan, Ayushmann Khurrana & Payal Kapadia Join Oscar Academy’s 2025 Invitee List
