Actor DENZEL WASHINGTON has spoken out in defense of the Academy Awards, insisting they're not racist. American evangelist Jesse Jackson has accused Hollywood of "institutional racism," but TRAINING DAY (2001) star Washington sees nothing to back the claims up.

He says, "I don't put too much into that. The year I was up for Malcolm X (1992), AL PACINO won for Scent of a Woman (1992). He had been nominated eight times. If he had lost, what would he have blamed it on? I've been nominated four times and I won once, so who would Pacino blame had he lost?"

Source: WENN