In a proud moment for Indian cinema, renowned actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Kamal Haasan have been invited to become voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, allowing them to participate in the selection process for Oscar-nominated films.

Accompanying them in the prestigious list from India are acclaimed filmmaker Payal Kapadia, documentary director Smriti Mundhra, costume designer Maxima Basu, and cinematographer Ranabir Das. Once they accept the invitation, these members will be eligible to vote for the films that will be nominated for the Oscars.

The Academy announced its new list of invitees on June 26, which also includes international names such as Gillian Anderson, Ariana Grande, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, and Jason Momoa.

Expressing their joy over the expansion of the Academy, CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang released a joint statement welcoming the new members. This year, 534 individuals have been invited, of which 41% are women, 45% belong to under-represented communities, and 55% come from 60 countries and regions outside the United States.

With the inclusion of the new invitees, the total global membership of the Academy will surpass 11,000.

The 2026 Oscars ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 15, 2026 with popular television host Conan O'Brien set to return as the anchor of the event. The voting for nominations will begin on January 12 and conclude on January 16, while the final list of nominees will be announced on January 22, 2026.