Cinematographer John Bailey named Oscars new president

Cinematographer John Bailey has been named new president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Bailey was selected as head of the US-based institution responsible for the annual Oscars ceremony, media reported on Wednesday.

The decree was issued Tuesday night during a monthly meeting of the AMPAS board of governors.

The new Academy leader will replace exiting president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who served a fourth and final one-year term in the role.

Bailey, 74, worked on films such as 'Ordinary People' and 'As Good as It Gets'. In 2014, he received the American Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award.

Such selection can be dubbed as a surprise turn of events given the new president has never received an Oscar nomination and is among the back office workers in the world of cinema.

AG/AG