Oscars 'heartbroken' over lack of diversity, Academy pledges 'big changes'

The Motion Picture Academy that dispenses the Oscars acknowledged Monday that the group was "heartbroken" over the lack of diversity in this year's Oscar acting nominations, and pledged to make "big changes."

Click through to see some of the 2016 Academy Award nominees:

"I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion. This is a difficult but important conversation, and it's time for big changes," said Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Here's the statement below:

STATEMENT FROM ACADEMY PRESIDENT CHERYL BOONE ISAACS

I'd like to acknowledge the wonderful work of this year's nominees. While we celebrate their extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion. This is a difficult but important conversation, and it's time for big changes. The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership. In the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond.

As many of you know, we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years. But the change is not coming as fast as we would like. We need to do more, and better and more quickly.

This isn't unprecedented for the Academy. In the '60s and '70s it was about recruiting younger members to stay vital and relevant. In 2016, the mandate is inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We recognize the very real concerns of our community, and I so appreciate all of you who have reached out to me in our effort to move forward together.

Read original story Oscars 'Heartbroken' Over Lack of Diversity, Academy Pledges 'Big Changes' At TheWrap

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