THE ACADEMY ELECTS 2026-2027 BOARD OF GOVERNORS

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced its newly elected 2026-2027 Board of Governors. The governors will take office at the first scheduled board meeting of the new term.

In February 2026, the Board approved a bylaws amendment that ensures equity in board representation among branches. As of the 2026-2027 Board year, all 19 Academy branches will each have three branch-elected governors, adding additional governors to the Animation, Production and Technology and Short Films Branches. To establish staggered terms, governors in these three branches were elected to one-year, two-year or three-year terms this year. Elections in 2027 will then follow the standard protocol of one governor election per branch, with three-year terms.

Incumbent governors reelected to the Board (alphabetically by branch):

Lou Diamond Phillips, Actors Branch
Jinko Gotoh, Animation Branch
Daniel Orlandi, Costume Designers Branch 
Hannah Minghella, Executives Branch 
David Dinerstein, Marketing and Public Relations Branch
Wendy Aylsworth, Production and Technology Branch 
Kalina Ivanov, Production Design Branch
Mark P. Stoeckinger, Sound Branch
Dana Stevens, Writers Branch

Elected to the Board for the first time (alphabetically by branch):

Michael Goi, Cinematographers Branch
Guillermo del Toro, Directors Branch
Anne Goursaud, Film Editors Branch
Patricia Dehaney, Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch 
Kris Bowers, Music Branch 
Fred Berger, Producers Branch
Vic Armstrong, Production and Technology Branch 
David Leitch, Production and Technology Branch 
Kim Magnusson, Short Films Branch

Returning to the Board after a hiatus (alphabetically by branch):

Bonnie Arnold, Animation Branch
Bernard Telsey, Casting Directors Branch
Roger Ross Williams, Documentary Branch
Bob Rogers, Short Films Branch 
Paul Debevec, Visual Effects Branch

In the Animation Branch, Arnold was elected to serve a three-year term, and Gotoh was elected to serve a one-year term.

In the Production and Technology Branch, Aylsworth was elected to serve a three-year term, Armstrong was elected to serve a two-year term, and Leitch was elected to serve a one-year term.

In the Short Films Branch, Magnusson was elected to serve a three-year term, and Rogers was elected to serve a two-year term.

They will join returning governors Pam Abdy, Haifaa al-Mansour, Lesley Barber, K.K. Barrett, Dion Beebe, Jason Blum, Brooke Breton, Effie T. Brown, Carter Burwell, Paul Cameron, Patricia Cardoso, Eduardo Castro, Annie Chang, Peter Devlin, Jennifer Fox, Chris Hegedus, Richard Hicks, Larry Karaszewski, Laura C. Kim, Christina Kounelias, Peter Kujawski, Marlee Matlin, Isis Mussenden, Andy Nelson, Missy Parker, Gerald Quist, Jason Reitman, Nancy Richardson, Andrew Roberts, Howard A. Rodman, Terilyn A. Shropshire, Chris Tashima, Kim Taylor-Coleman, Jean Tsien, Marlon West, Gigi Williams and Rita Wilson.

The Academy has 19 branches, each represented by three governors. Governors, including the board-elected governors-at-large, may serve up to two three-year terms (consecutive or non-consecutive), followed by a two-year hiatus, after which eligibility renews for up to two additional three-year terms for a lifetime maximum of 12 years. If a governor elected in a 2026 branch election serves a term of fewer than three years, that term will not apply against governor term limits.

As a result of this election, the Board comprises 47% women and 32% from underrepresented communities, based on self-reporting.

In accordance with a bylaws amendment approved earlier in 2026, a sitting Academy president may run for reelection until they have served up to four consecutive one-year terms in the role, even if they would normally be required to take a two-year hiatus after serving two governor terms. In this case, such president serves as an ex officio governor until the completion of their term. 

The Board of Governors sets the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health and assures the fulfillment of its mission.

For the current 2025-2026 Academy governors, click here.
 

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's premier film organization and is home to a global membership of more than 11,000 of the most accomplished film industry artists and leaders. The Academy connects global audiences – its members, the film industry, and film fans – through their shared passion for making and watching films. The Academy does this by recognizing and celebrating the arts and sciences of moviemaking through renowned awards for cinematic achievement, including the Oscars®, the Governors Awards, and the Scientific and Technical Awards. The Academy’s affiliated charitable organization, the Academy Foundation, serves a public benefit through its robust educational, preservation and cultural activities. This includes the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the world's largest global film museum, the Academy Collection, the largest film-related collection in the world, and talent development programs for emerging artists. Year-round, the Academy creates opportunities for all communities to engage with the film world.

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