Rotten Tomatoes is expanding its critics outreach and grant program after five years, the company announced Tuesday, adding three new beneficiary organizations, scholarships and mentorship for aspiring critics from underrepresented groups.

Over its first half-decade, Rotten Tomatoes estimates it has added more than 1,000 critics as part of the initiative. GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, Gold House and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) are the new entries.

“We at GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics could not be prouder of the work we’ve done with our partners at Rotten Tomatoes. Thanks to their generosity, together we’ve been able to support, nurture and fund important young voices among emerging critics through our Crimson Honors College Critics awards, which this year supported three queer-identifying women and non-binary critics with financial assistance to pursue their important work,” said Walt Hickey, president of GALECA.

With Gold House, Rotten Tomatoes will support its Futures Accelerator: Journalism mentorship program for API journalists and critics. The NABJ’s 2023 Arts & Entertainment Media Institute will specifically receive support from RT, which counts investors in Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast.

“Gold House has been building support and momentum for Asian representation in the entertainment and media space for the past five years, but a critical piece to that progression is equipping diverse writers who can help interpret and critique these narratives and act as a critical funnel to society broadly,” said Christine Yi, general manager of Gold House Futures. “We’re so excited to partner with Rotten Tomatoes to build this much-needed educational program for this next generation of Asian Pacific critics to collectively power cultural change.”

Rotten Tomatoes has also renewed its $25,000 donation to the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival Media Inclusion Initiative, which grants financial assistance to press looking to attend the festival.

“We are dedicated to serving entertainment fans worldwide and are incredibly proud of our work over the past five years to increase representation among entertainment critics,” said RT’s\ Jenny Jediny, director of critic engagement, who added their efforts provide “access to critics who historically have not been given early access to entertainment content like their counterparts at longer-tenured media outlets.” 

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