--- title: How Hard the Oscars Worked Combat #OscarsSoWhite description: At the 88th Academy Awards, the Academy made a major effort to counter the image of #oscarssowhite with a more diverse group of presenters. canonical: https://time.com/4242076/oscars-so-white-presenters/ author: Eliza Berman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-29T22:12:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:49:31.575Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: This Is Just How Hard the Oscars Worked to Combat #OscarsSoWhite og:description: At the 88th Academy Awards, the Academy made a major effort to counter the image of #oscarssowhite with a more diverse group of presenters. og:url: https://time.com/4242076/oscars-so-white-presenters/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8aa800a3ab6501ee/69887fa9ab6d7700996a8a50/chris-rock2.jpg?branch=production&width=922&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 922 og:image:height: 519 og:image:alt: 88th Annual Academy Awards - Show og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Is Just How Hard the Oscars Worked to Combat #OscarsSoWhite twitter:description: At the 88th Academy Awards, the Academy made a major effort to counter the image of #oscarssowhite with a more diverse group of presenters. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8aa800a3ab6501ee/69887fa9ab6d7700996a8a50/chris-rock2.jpg?branch=production&width=922&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's Exactly How Hard the Oscars Worked to Combat #OscarsSoWhite > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Watch the 2016 Oscar Highlights In Less Than Two Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): Watch the 2016 Oscar Highlights In Less Than Two Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Pygpuwhn.m3u8) (1:58)  _Published 2016-02-29_  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Feb 29, 2016 10:12 PM UTC  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Feb 29, 2016 10:12 PM UTC The Academy of Motion Pictures was under significant pressure Sunday night to deliver a show that ran counter to its image as a mostly-white organization dragging its feet on matters of inclusion. Between host Chris Rock’s scathing opening [monologue](http://time.com/4239748/chris-rock-oscar-monologue-video/) and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs’ more measured remarks on the organization’s recent efforts, race _felt_ very much front and center at the show. But the Oscars’ producers took great pains to ensure that it would _look_ front and center, as well. Of the night’s 48 presenters and performers (including Rock and Isaacs), 19, or about 40%, were not white. That’s not including Angela Bassett’s pre-recorded [segment](http://time.com/4240662/oscars-2016-angela-bassett-black-history-month/), Rock’s daughter’s [Girl Scout troop](http://time.com/4240783/chris-rock-oscars-girl-scout-cookies/) or the three Asian-American children brought to the stage for a rather unfortunate joke about accountants. The Academy’s progress toward becoming a more inclusive body is, of course, more than a percentage for a single night when the whole world is watching. And for many, something doesn’t sit quite right about inviting people of color to present awards for which few, or in many categories zero, people of color were nominated. The real test will come when next year’s nominees are announced in January 2017\. If true progress has been made in a year’s time, the [89th Academy Awards](http://time.com/4240907/oscars-2016-analysis-winners/) won’t be marked by that nagging feeling that something is being compensated for. ## Transcript This is the wildest, craziest Oscars to ever host because we got all this controversy. And people are like Chris, you should boycott. Chris, you should quit. You should quit. And you know, how come it's only unemployed people that tell you to quit something, you know? [ LAUGH ] Positive overall beats negative. With that being said, I wanna take a moment to applaud All of my actors and actresses of color that didn't get nominated tonight. [ SOUND ] I forgot the ticket? How dare you? The tickets was your job nitwit. [ SOUND ] Please, don't encourage him BB- 8. [ SOUND ] Actually, I do not look like him. He happens to look rather like me. [ MUSIC ] Heart breaks to you. Heart breaks to you. Heart breaks to you. How could you know? [ APPLAUSE ] And the award goes to Leonardo DiCaprio. [ APPLAUSE ] [ APPLAUSE ] Thank you to the Academy, thank you to all of you in this room, I have to congratulate the other incredible nominees this year for their unbelievable performances. The Revenant was a product of the tireless efforts of a unbelievable cast and crew I got to work along side. And the Oscar goes to [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Spotlight. [ APPLAUSE ] This film gave a voice to survivors, and this Oscar amplifies that voice Which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican. 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