The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced its newly elected 2026-2027 Board of Governors. The governors will take office at the first scheduled board meeting of the new term.
In February 2026, the Board approved a bylaws amendment that ensures equity in board representation among branches. As of the 2026-2027 Board year, all 19 Academy branches will each have three branch-elected governors, adding additional governors to the Animation, Production and Technology, and Short Films Branches. To establish staggered terms, governors in these three branches were elected to one-year, two-year, or three-year terms this year. Elections in 2027 will then follow the standard protocol of one governor election per branch, with three-year terms.
Incumbent governors reelected to the Board (alphabetically by branch):
Lou Diamond Phillips, Actors Branch
Jinko Gotoh, Animation Branch
Daniel Orlandi, Costume Designers Branch
Hannah Minghella, Executives Branch
David Dinerstein, Marketing and Public Relations Branch
Wendy Aylsworth, Production and Technology Branch
Kalina Ivanov, Production Design Branch
Mark P. Stoeckinger, Sound Branch
Dana Stevens, Writers Branch
Elected to the Board for the first time (alphabetically by branch):
Michael Goi, Cinematographers Branch
Guillermo del Toro, Director’s Branch
Anne Goursaud, Film Editors Branch
Patricia Dehaney, Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch
Kris Bowers, Music Branch
Fred Berger, Producers Branch
Vic Armstrong, Production and Technology Branch
David Leitch, Production and Technology Branch
Kim Magnusson, Short Films Branch
Returning to the Board after a hiatus (alphabetically by branch):
Bonnie Arnold, Animation Branch
Bernard Telsey, Casting Directors Branch
Roger Ross Williams, Documentary Branch
Bob Rogers, Short Films Branch
Paul Debevec, Visual Effects Branch
In the Animation Branch, Arnold was elected to a three-year term, and Gotoh to a one-year term.
In the Production and Technology Branch, Aylsworth was elected to a three-year term, Armstrong to a two-year term, and Leitch to a one-year term.
In the Short Films Branch, Magnusson was elected to a three-year term, and Rogers to a two-year term.
They will join returning governors Pam Abdy, Haifaa al-Mansour, Lesley Barber, K.K. Barrett, Dion Beebe, Jason Blum, Brooke Breton, Effie T. Brown, Carter Burwell, Paul Cameron, Patricia Cardoso, Eduardo Castro, Annie Chang, Peter Devlin, Jennifer Fox, Chris Hegedus, Richard Hicks, Larry Karaszewski, Laura C. Kim, Christina Kounelias, Peter Kujawski, Marlee Matlin, Isis Mussenden, Andy Nelson, Missy Parker, Gerald Quist, Jason Reitman, Nancy Richardson, Andrew Roberts, Howard A. Rodman, Terilyn A. Shropshire, Chris Tashima, Kim Taylor-Coleman, Jean Tsien, Marlon West, Gigi Williams and Rita Wilson.
The Academy has 19 branches, each represented by three governors. Governors, including the board-elected governors-at-large, may serve up to two three-year terms (consecutive or non-consecutive), followed by a two-year hiatus, after which eligibility renews for up to two additional three-year terms for a lifetime maximum of 12 years. If a governor elected in a 2026 branch election serves a term of fewer than three years, that term will not apply against the governor’s term limits.
As a result of this election, the Board comprises 47% women and 32% from underrepresented communities, based on self-reporting.
In accordance with a bylaws amendment approved earlier in 2026, a sitting Academy president may run for reelection until they have served up to four consecutive one-year terms in the role, even if they would normally be required to take a two-year hiatus after serving two governor terms. In this case, such a president serves as an ex officio governor until the completion of their term.
The Board of Governors sets the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its mission.
For the current 2025-2026 Academy governors, click here.
