There are a lot of white people nominated for Oscars this year, and the head of trade group representing Hollywood's largest movie studios said that is a problem.

In a recent speech to industry insiders in Washington, D.C., Motion Picture Industry Association CEO Chris Dodd said he agreed with Cheryl Boone, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, when she said her organization needs to do a better job increasing the diversity of its members, who pick Oscar nominations.

"To echo her comments, while we celebrate the achievements of this year's nominees, the absence of diversity is undeniable and should initiate a healthy and productive debate about what can be done to make progress," Dodd said, according to entertainment industry publication Variety.

The Oscars have come under fire because of the large number of white actors and filmmakers who were nominated this year despite the substantial number of minorities in the films getting nods. The controversy has generated the Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite and was spoofed by Saturday Night Live.

"We must do a better job of cultivating and recognizing diversity," Dodd said. "The film community is better served when a wider array of voices is celebrated."

MPAA represents the six big movie studios-Disney, Paramount, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal and Warner Brothers. The association oversees movie ratings but has nothing to do with the Oscars. http://bit.ly/1OJERD7

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