ON Sunday Bradford-born film producer Steve Abbott will join the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for this year's Oscars ceremony.

As a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which oversees the Oscars, Steve is eligible to vote for nominations.

This year's Academy Awards have been dominated by the diversity row, with the acting categories coming under fire for not including any non-white actors.

Steve, whose credits as a producer and executive producer include the movies Brassed Off, A Fish Called Wanda and Blake It On The Bellboy, says

change must come from within the film industry to tackle the issue of diversity.

"The Academy has written to us all, in the last week, saying that as a result of the bad press when the acting nominations came out, not only are they increasing and diversifying the membership, they're streamlining the voting," he says.

"A much broader change needs to come from within Hollywood. It isn't making enough Latino or black interest films. Straight Outta Compton (an American film chronicling the rise and fall of Californian hip hop group NWA) was a great film this year but has one nomination, ironically for a white screenwriter."

Steve has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1998. Giving an insight into how the voting system works, he says each member must have at least two projects that have won Oscars or other major festival prizes.

Members are elected by and into 'branches' - he was elected by the producers' branch. The actors' branch is the biggest.

"Nominations are purely by branch, so I get to nominate best picture," he says. "Then we all get to vote for nominations in every category."

This, naturally, involves watching a lot of films. Does he watch all the nominated films? "You should, and I'd like to think all Academy members do," says Steve. "I make a point of doing so."

From October onwards, Academy members are approached by film studios to watch their movies. Steve sees films often before they're released. "Studios aren't allowed to entice us to watch films - so strict are the rules, they can't even send a film with a picture of the stars or a poster, it comes in plain colour packaging," he says.

In terms of diversity, he says changes are underway.

"For many years entry requirements were very strict but the Academy has been relaxing and diversifying membership," he says. "There are new and bold moves; the new Academy leadership is very dynamic and change has been coming for the past couple of years. It's just unfortunate that because the nominations have fallen the way they have - something the actors' branch is responsible for - it has caused them to appear defensive, when they have already been modernising the system."

Steve, who is chairman of the Bradford UNESCO City of Film Board of Directors, went to Bradford Grammar School and read maths at Cambridge. Last week he was at Ilkley Film Festival for a 20th anniversary screening of his film, Brassed Off.

His involvement with film and television started in 1979 with HandMade Films. He and his business partner managed the Monty Python group for several years and, with the Python team, founded Prominent Features and Prominent Television.

Prominent Features productions have won awards worldwide, including an Oscar and several BAFTAs. Prominent Television productions include several travel series with Michael Palin.

As well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Steve is a member of BAFTA and the European Film Academy and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has an Honorary Doctor from the University of Bradford.

This year's Oscars may be under fire for lack of diversity, but the films in the running are varied, from gritty action film The Revenant to romantic drama Carol.

There's a strong British presence in acting nominations, with Eddie Redmayne for The Danish Girl, Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies, Kate Winslet for Steve Jobs, Christian Bale for The Big Short, Tom Hardy in The Revenant and Charlotte Rampling for 45 Years.

"We're very lucky, there is a British presence most years, and we've always done well in tech categories too," says Steve. "Actors, possibly directors, and writers are used as marketing tools to sell cinema tickets. You might see a film directed by Steven Spielberg or written by Bradford's Simon Beaufoy, but you don't go to see a film because the cinematographer has been nominated eight times or won twice. But that's incredibly important to a producer trying to pitch or finance a film."