BAFTAs 2020: Prince William calls for diversity in awards, says it 'simply cannot be right in this day and age'
Prince William has been BAFTAs president for the last 10 years and he took the stage this year to bring attention to the importance of having diversity in nominations. Prince William decided to deliver this speech when he awarded the Fellowship award to film producer Kathleen Kennedy. While presenting the award, he joked, "I'm alarmed by how many winners of the past decade have betrayed members of my own family".
Moving on to more important issues, he added, "Both here in the UK and in many other countries across the world we are lucky to have incredible filmmakers, actors, producers, directors, and technicians - men and women from all backgrounds and ethnicities enriching our lives through film. Yet in 2020, and not for the first time in the last few years, we find ourselves talking again about the need to do more to ensure diversity in the sector and in the awards process – that simply cannot be right in this day and age!"
Prince William revealed that the BAFTA community would be ensuring that from next time onwards there will be more inclusivity. "I know that both Pippa, Chair of BAFTA, and Amanda, BAFTA CEO, share that frustration and continue to work tirelessly to ensure that creative talent is discovered and supported," he said.
Through his speech he promised some action as he stated, "BAFTA take this issue seriously, and following this year’s nominations, have launched a full and thorough review of the entire Awards process to build on their existing work and ensure that opportunities are available to everyone."
While Prince William decided to stress on the importance of diversity, fans wondered why he did not break his silence when Meghan Markle was being bullied by the British press. "Prince William calling for more diversity at the #EEBAFTAs , this after he spent three years throwing Meghan under the bus, and said FA when a journo compared his nephew to a chimpanzee," read one comment.
Another comment read, "What hypocrite that anything that makes him looķ good but we all know what he did to Meghan how he smearing her #neverforgetthebuĺly selfish arrogant Prince William."