Oscar-nominated Irish actors Paul Mescal and Kerry Condon and An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) director Colm Bairéad are among hundreds of new people invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, whose role includes voting in the Oscars.
It was announced on Wednesday that the Academy had extended membership invitations to 398 individuals who had "distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures."
Mescal, who hails from Co Kildare, has shot to superstardom with critically-acclaimed projects like Normal People and Aftersun, and is currently filming the sequel to Ridley Scott's Gladiator, in which he has the leading role.
Condon was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in this year's Oscars, for her work in The Banshees of Inisherin.
The highly-successful actress from Tipperary also has had roles in several Avengers films, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Better Call Saul.
Dubliner Bairéad, whose film An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) was nominated for the Best International Feature Film Oscar this year, is joined on the list by the hit Irish-language drama's cinematographer, Kate McCullough.
There is further Irish interest as Tom Berkeley and Ross White, whose short film An Irish Goodbye won the Oscar for Best Live-Action Short Film, were invited in the Short Films and Feature Animation category.
Irish producer Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly, whose credits include Ammonite and Lady Macbeth, is another invitee, as is David Burke, Chief Marketing & Operations Officer at the US stop-motion animation studio Laika.
Other notable invitees to the renowned group include US pop superstar Taylor Swift, following her work on Where The Crawdads Sing, starring Daisy Edgar Jones, and Cats.
Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, also earned an invite for his work on Avatar: Way Of Water and Fifty Shades Of Grey.
Best Actor Oscar nominee Austin Butler was also invited to join after his work as Elvis in 2022 film of the same name.
Academy president Janet Yang said, "The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership.
"They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organisation, which aims to advance the arts and sciences of motion pictures and at any one time, has almost 10,000 members, who vote to decide the nominees and eventual winners of the annual Academy Awards.
It has attempted in recent years to diversify its members, opting to invite more women and people of colour to join its ranks.
Source: Press Association
