Diversity in the spotlight at Joy Awards

Diversity was in the spotlight at Saudi Arabia's Joy Awards, British entertainment reporter Stephanie Tayki says.

Transcript

00:00Yes, indeed. I saw Guy Ritchie in those pictures and also on the list.

00:06What impact could a ceremony like this have on the industry as a whole?

00:12You just mentioned it was a real mix, very diverse.

00:17You know, Leanne, it was very refreshing to see because I think for a long time,

00:21Hollywood has been the epic centre of glamour and the film industry.

00:26As we've seen with these LA world fires where the Oscars have been left in a bit of a pickle

00:31of how they can deliver an award show like this.

00:34We're actually seeing that more A-listers are now looking to the Middle East

00:38to establish themselves there, to create new connections there.

00:42And I think what's quite interesting, Hollywood for a long time has been asking for diversity.

00:48And I think when they do connect with the Saudi Arabia film industry,

00:52moving on from Hollywood and creating new epic centres are quite interesting.

00:57We know Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general is going to be a hot spot

01:01for the film industry by 2029, with it predicted to be a 1.5 billion market.

01:07So we are really seeing that shift, which is about time, I think, personally.