Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, film executive Hannah Minghella, The Woman King screenwriter Dana Stevens, and Summer of Soul producer David I Dinerstein have been elected to serve on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors.

The Academy, the organisation behind the Oscars, announced newcomers and incumbent members, like director Ava DuVernay and A Star is Born producer Lynette Howell Taylor, on Thursday.

They join returning governors like Marlee Matlin, Warner Bros co-chair and CEO Pam Abdy, Jason Reitman, Jason Blum, and Rita Wilson.

As of this election, women make up a majority (53 per cent) of the board. A quarter of the board also belongs to an under-represented racial or ethnic group.

The board of governors is comprised of members representing each branch of the academy, including directors, actors, executives and below the line craftspeople working in sound, production design, costuming, and more, and work to set the organisation’s strategy, finances, and “fulfilment of its mission”.

The Oscars are this year implementing its new inclusion standards for best picture contenders which include four broad representation categories — on screen; among the crew; at the studio; and in opportunities for training and advancement in other aspects of the film’s development and release.