Race/Ethnicity
The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examines the proportion of characters from different racial/ethnic groups on screen in entertainment. Routinely, we find an on-screen underrepresentation of characters who are Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian or Asian American, Native American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, or from other racial/ethnic backgrounds. In addition to the prevalence of underrepresented characters, other attributes are analyzed, including parental and relational status and hypersexualization.
View our reports on race/ethnicity on screen in entertainment below. For information on race/ethnicity behind the scenes in entertainment, visit the Behind the Camera page.
Race/Ethnicity On-Screen in Film, TV, and Episodic Content
Inequality in 1,600 Popular Films
Annual report on top-grossing film. Includes data on employment patterns of women (directors, writers, producers, composers, and casting directors) and hiring of Black, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino directors (2007-2022).
View previous reports: 2023, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2009
Leading Characters in 1,700 Popular Films
A research brief on gender and race/ethnicity among leading characters in the 100 top films each year from 2007 to 2022
View previous briefs: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019
Economic Brief: What Sells in Film
A brief examining 126 top-grossing films from 2021 and 2022. The study found no significant relationship between the identity of the protagonist and box office success. What does matter is support in terms of budget, marketing costs, and distribution.
View the report here.
The Prevalence and Portrayal of Asian and Pacific Islanders across 1,300 Popular Films
With Nancy Wang Yuen, the study includes an assessment of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) leads and speaking characters across 1,300 top-grossing films from 2007 to 2019. The report also includes a qualitative analysis of primary and secondary API characters from 2019’s most popular movies.
View the report here.
Hispanic and Latino Representation in Film: Erasure On Screen & Behind the Camera Across 1,600 Popular Movies
The report examines top-grossing films from 2007 to 2022 to assess the prevalence and portrayal of Hispanics/Latinos on screen and as directors, producers, and casting directors. The study also includes a qualitative analysis of the presentation of Hispanic/Latino characters.
View previous reports: 2023, 2021, 2019
Native American Representation Across 1,600 Popular Films
The report examines top-grossing films from 2007 to 2022 to assess the prevalence of Native American characters on screen as well as how often Native actors work in top movies.
View the report here.
Muslim Representation in Film and Television
Two reports examine the prevalence and portrayal of Muslim characters in top-grossing films and popular television series across four global territories.
Inclusion in Netflix Series and Films: 2018–2021
The Initiative analyzed Netflix’s U.S. original live-action films (249) and series (297) from 2018 to 2021. The study examined on-screen inclusion across gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+ and disability. Behind the camera, gender and race/ethnicity of key personnel were assessed.
View the most recent exective summary and full report on films and series from 2023.
View the initial executive summary and full report on films and series from 2018-19.
Inclusion or Invisibility? Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity (CARD)
Report examines film, television, and digital content. The study ranks companies based on inclusivity on screen and behind the camera.
View the executive summary and full report.
Race/Ethnicity in Music
Inclusion in the Recording Studio?
Our annual report on gender and race/ethnicity across popular songs (2012-2023) and Grammy nominations in select categories. Our 2019 report includes an analysis of qualitative interviews with 75 women songwriters and producers.
View each report: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
Inclusion in the Music Business: Gender & Race/Ethnicity Across Executives, Artists & Talent Teams
Our first report to examine the inclusion profile of the executive ranks across six categories of the music industry, artist race/ethnicity, and that of managers, agents, and publicists.
View the report here.
Reports on Specific Areas of Entertainment
Exploring Inclusion in Snapchat Content
The study was conducted in partnership with the Media Neuroscience Lab (MNL), University of California, Santa Barbara, and sponsored by Snap. The analysis is a multi-year, first-of-its-kind representation audit of English-language partnered content on Snapchat (content from traditional and digital native media partners). The team used a combination of computational methods and human assessors to understand how well gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, and disability were represented in Snapchat content.
View the report here.
The Ticket to Inclusion: Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Leads and Financial Performance Across 1,200 Popular Films
The report examines the economic performance of 1,200 top films from 2007 to 2018, using more than a dozen production, distribution, and exhibition factors that could influence economic performance domestically and internationally. A supplemental analysis of films with women of color in leading roles. The report was supported by ReFrame.
View the report here.
Cracking the Code: The Prevalence and Nature of Computer Science Depictions in Media
An investigation of how often computer science is depicted in popular films and five samples of television, and the prevalence and portrayal of females performing computer science. Report prepared for the Google CS in Media Team.
View the report here.
Race/Ethnicity of Film Critics
An examination of gender and race/ethnicity of film reviewers across the top 100 films each year from 2015-2017.
View the reports here: top 100 films of 2017, top 300 films from 2015-2017