The Television Academy’s 2023 Transparency Report

Television Academy

As part of their commitment to transparency and improvement for DEIA efforts, the Television Academy established an annual report to lay out their current membership demographics based on member profile data updated throughout 2022-2023. The data collection is part of the Academy’s metrics in its second annual transparency report (the first was released in late 2021) that will be used as a basis for tracking the changing diversity of its membership every year.

Demographics were updated using the information on file in the Academy's membership database as of January 12, 2023. Members were encouraged multiple times over email and other communication to update their demographics in their member profiles. Some optional identity categories such as Disability and Veteran Status were too low in response rates to maintain a confidentiality threshold. The Academy contains 20, 583 members in its roster, but not every member responded to updating their demographics. Working with DEI consultancy ReadySet, the Academy also included intersectional analyses of its demographics.

In the online database, roughly two-thirds (67.4 %) of members responded to the organization’s call to update their racial demographic information. Of them:

• White or Caucasian (non-Hispanic/non-Latino): 74.9%

• Black or African American: 10.4%

• Latino/Latina/Latinx or Hispanic: 8.5%

• Biracial or Multiracial: 3.9%

• East or Southeast Asian: 3.2%

• Middle Eastern: 0.8%

• South Asian: 0.8%

• American Indian, Alaska Native, First Nation, or Indigenous: 0.6%

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.4%

Racial Demographic of Members (67.4% Response)

In terms of gender (which had a 79.4 percent response rate):

• 97.3% were Cisgender

• 2.7% were Transgender

54.3% of respondents identified as men (78.9% are White), 45.4% as women (70.8% of all female members are White), 0.4% as Nonconforming/Non-Binary, and 0.1% as Two-Spirit. Nonbinary and other gender identity members (0.5% of respondents) are the most racially varied, with only 55.7% being White.

For men:

• White or Caucasian (non-Hispanic/non-Latino): 78.9%

• Black or African American: 8.0%

• Latino/Latina/Latinx or Hispanic: 6.1%

• Biracial or Multiracial: 2.9%

• East or Southeast Asian: 2.3%

• Middle Eastern: 0.6%

• South Asian: 0.7%

• American Indian, Alaska Native, First Nation, or Indigenous: 0.6%

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.4%

Racial Demographic of Male Members (54.3% Response)

For women:

• White or Caucasian (non-Hispanic/non-Latino): 70.8%

• Black or African American: 13.1%

• Latino/Latina/Latinx or Hispanic: 8.9%

• Biracial or Multiracial: 4.7%

• East or Southeast Asian: 4.0%

• Middle Eastern: 1.0%

• South Asian: 0.8%

• American Indian, Alaska Native, First Nation, or Indigenous: 0.6%

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.4%

Racial Demographic of Female Members (54.3% Response)

For non-binary/other genders:

• White or Caucasian (non-Hispanic/non-Latino): 55.7%

• Black or African American: 19.7%

• Latino/Latina/Latinx or Hispanic: 6.6%

• Biracial or Multiracial: 18.0%

• East or Southeast Asian: 14.8%

• Middle Eastern: 3.3%

• South Asian: 4.9%

• American Indian, Alaska Native, First Nation, or Indigenous: 8.2%

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 1.6%

Racial Demographic of Non-Binary/Other Genders (54.3% Response)

Just under a quarter of members (23.5%) disclosed their sexual orientation, and among them, 78.9% identify as Straight, 12.5% as Gay, 2.8% as Bisexual, 2.1% as Lesbian, 0.9% as Asexual, 1% as Pansexual, and 4.3% Queer. More women respondents (85.6%) identified as straight compared to men (75.2%).

For age brackets, 36.2% of the Academy’s members responded. Of them:

• 18-24: 1%

• 25-40: 36%

• 41-55: 44%

• 56-67: 15%

• 68-100: 5%

Age Demographic of Academy Members (36.2% Response)

The 25-40 and 41-55 age groups — its two largest age groups — are also the most racially varied (66.5% and 68.8% White, respectively). The study also found that the response size in some categories, such as members aged 18-24, members with disabilities (2.4%), and military veterans (12.3%), was too small to be representative of the entire membership or to be examined without violating confidentially.

In addition to demographic information, the report includes an update on the DEIA activities suggested in 2021, as well as a revision to the Television Academy's mission statement, which currently reads: “The Television Academy is dedicated to celebrating excellence, innovation and the advancement of the telecommunications arts and sciences through recognition, education, and leadership, while fostering a diverse, inclusive and accessible professional community, building a lasting impact on creative generations to come.”

To continue its promised efforts to become more diverse and representative, the Television Academy has made commitments that will be brought up regularly during monthly meetings of its DEIA task force, including the hiring of DEIA-focused senior staff, a review of the composition of its executive committees (resulting in a revision of the bylaws for the 2023 Governor Elections), and DEIA training for all governors and other leaders. The Academy's DEIA priorities for 2023 include expanding member involvement options through affinity groups, providing a more accessible communication system between members and leadership, and hosting biennial in-person inclusion summits at its North Hollywood headquarters.