Lynette Howell Taylor elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

UK-born film producer Lynette Howell Taylor has been elected as the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The organisation’s Board of Governors made the news official on Thursday night.

Taylor has been an active part of the Academy since 2014. She is beginning her first term as president during her second term as a governor representing the Producers Branch. Founder of the production banner 51 Entertainment, she has produced a wide range of films across the years, including Captain Fantastic, A Star is Born, The Accountant, Blue Valentine, and Stephanie Daley.

On her election as president, Bill Kamer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said, “Lynette has been a vital part of the Academy Board of Governors for many years, most recently revitalising our awards work as chair of the board’s Awards Committee. I so look forward to working with her as our new Academy President, as well as with these incredibly dedicated and strategic board officers. This is an exceptional group of Academy members who will advance the Academy’s mission, support our membership around the world, ensure our long-term financial stability, and celebrate the achievements of the global filmmaking community.”

Taylor is the fifth woman to serve at the Academy’s top position in its 98-year existence. She joins Bette Davis (the first woman to serve the post, but stepped down after two months in 1941), Fay Kanin (1979-1983), Cheryl Boone Isaacs (2013-2017), and Janet Yang (the first Asian American woman to helm the post from 2021 to 2025).

This also marks the first time the Academy has seen two women serve back-to-back terms. Academy board members may serve up to two three-year terms, either consecutively or non-consecutively.

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