I wouldn't call that evidence, but I can see how the pressure of political activism could challenge the idea that awards are merit based.

But I don't think I've ever seen any actual evidence that the merits of non-white, non-male people are any less than their counterparts. Most responses I see are talking more broadly about "PC culture".

I think this could also be a case of

a) More non-white, non-male, "othered" people working in media b) More of an audience for that content than ever, enabling people that fit different profiles to make movies