The Nollywood bigwigs were selected for their contributions to cinematic arts.
Five Nigerian actors from Nollywood have been selected to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It is also known as ‘The Oscars’.
The Academy is known around the world for its annual Academy Awards.
They include veteran Richard Mofe-Damijo, Jade Osiberu (producer), Kunle Afolayan, CJ Obasi (director), Jade Osiberu, and writers Kunle Afolayan (writer) and Shola Dada (writer).
They were selected based on their contributions to cinema and are expected to have voting rights for The Oscars nominations and winners.
The CEO of the Academy, Bill Kramer and its President, Janet Yang in a joint statement 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 was previously faced with criticism for its lack of diversity.
The BBC say a study in 2012 by the Los Angeles Times newspaper found that 94% of Oscar voters were white.
However, critics note there have been some changes since #OscarsSoWhite trended eight years ago.