Since the nominations for the 2017 BAFTA's were announced today there has been some criticism about the perceived lack of diversity in the nominees, and BAFTA's chief executive has now dismissed the comments, saying "everyone looks for the snubs".
Although the backlash to the nominations hasn't come close to the #Oscarssowhite controversy last year, there has been objection over some omissions from the list.
In particular, Golden Globes nominee Denzel Washington has been looked over for his performance in Fences, and in fact the two-time Oscar winner has never received a single nomination from the British Academy. All of the leading acting nominees this year are white.
There has also been criticism over Barry Jenkins' exclusion from the Best Director category, although his film Moonlight is up for Best Film, Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali) and Best Supporting Actress (Naomie Harris).
BAFTA chief executive Amanda Berry commented to Deadline about the perceived lack of diversity, saying: "Everyone looks for the snubs and I want to remind people about the strong films. Let's not overshadow their achievements because they are exceptional.
"Barry Jenkins is nominated in Best Film and although not for Director, he is nominated for Original Screenplay. I do not feel Barry has been snubbed by BAFTA."
Berry added: "It's incredibly difficult when you're asked questions about why somebody hasn't been nominated. You would have to look at each year and say which one lead actor would you take out?"
However, the BAFTA executive did admit that lack of diversity in some areas was an issue.
"The fact that there isn't diversity among the top acting categories shows there is still work to be done", she said.
"But I don't want it to overshadow the fantastic nominations that are there," she added, mentioning supporting nominations for Naomie Harris, Dev Patel, Mahershala Ali and Viola Davis.
In 2016, BAFTA took steps to increase diversity, including setting out new standards and tweaking membership rules. Berry admits: "This isn’t saying our work is done, but it is saying look at the diverse films and subject matters."
The 2017 British Academy Film Awards will be held on Sunday, February 12 in London.
