(Source: Big Cartoon Database)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has offered 120 artists and executives memberships in the Academy. This year, 9 animators are part of that list.
This year's invited animators are:
- Director Hayao Miyazaki (Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away)
- Director Steve Box (Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit)
- Animator/historian John Canemaker
- Director/animator Will Finn (Home on the Range, The Secret of NIMH)
- Director/animator Rex Grignon (Madagascar, Shrek)
- Pixar animators Andrew Jimenez and Mark Andrews (The Incredibles, One-Man Band)
- Director Tim Johnson (Over the Hedge)
- "Mickey Mouse" voice actor Wayne Allwine
Academy members are the only ones allowed to vote at the Oscars, AMPAS' annual award ceremony.
"Two years ago, the Academy decided to slow membership growth, and to become even more selective in choosing members," said Academy president Sid Ganis. "Instead of inviting every proposed person who has achieved the minimum qualifications for his or her branch, the membership committees are selecting the most exceptionally qualified names from those lists."
Membership candidates are considered by committees made up of prominent members from each of AMPAS' 14 branches, including art directors, executives and film editors. These committees can also consider individuals nominated for Academy Awards but who aren't already members of the organization. These people aren't always invited to join.
This year, 39 of the invitees were 2005 Oscar nominees, and 8 are Oscar winners.
AMPAS will welcome their new members at an invitation-only reception, which will be held September 20 at the Academy's Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills, California.
