Kendrick Lamar and Sufjan Stevens are among the 44 music names invited to join the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, it has been confirmed.

Lamar, whose contributions to the blockbuster hit ‘Black Panther’ soundtrack which continues to succeed in the album charts, has been commended for his work. On top of that Sufjan Stevens received an invitation for his work on the soundtrack to hit indie flick ‘Call Me By Your Name’. Elsewhere, songwriter Oscar winner Melissa Etheridge who triumphed with her work on ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ has been included. Alongside those names, recent Oscar nominees Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka for ‘Lion’, Carlinhos Brown for ‘Rio’ and Benoit Charest for ‘The Triplets of Belleville’ are all standout names.

Membership in the Academy is by invitation only and Invitation comes only from the Board of Governors. Membership eligibility may be achieved by earning a competitive Oscar nomination, or by the sponsorship of two current Academy members from the same branch to which the candidate seeks admission.

A notable mention must also go to Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman for their work with cult icon Prince. Their incredible work ‘Dangerous Minds’ and various other television projects has seen them receive a greatly deserved nomination.

In total 928 people to have been invited to become members of The Academy.

The Academy Welcomes the Class of 2018