Why this year's Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue cover is a great leap forward

Awards season breaks into a gallop with the first peek at Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue, second only to the Superbowl as an annual exercise in celebrating rich people in funny-looking clothes. Every March the magazine features a colourfully titled gatefold cover, populated by a group of Hollywood's hottest stars and photographed by Annie Leibovitz. This year's pic features Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba and Naomie Harris, but it's not just the healthy number of Brits that makes the new cover an oddity compared to most years. It's nothing less than a rebellion against the format.

"Diversity"

There are six black actors on this year's cover. That's a six-fold increase over most years (Will Smith was the only black man on 1996's "Boy's Town" cover, Anthony Mackie the sole non-white face in 2011). Angry fans had started Photoshopping black and hispanic faces over VF's traditionally WASPish brood. So 2014's cover is a giant stride forward for diversity or – at the least – recognition that 2013 was a good year for black talent (Fruitvale Station, 12 Years a Slave, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom). Funny that they never noticed that in 2005 (Jamie Foxx won an Oscar, Don Cheadle was nominated) or any other year before ...

Grins

Three of them here! Potentially more of a surprise than the diversity thing. Nobody smiles on the VF Hollywood cover. It's about looking edgy (1999's New Kids on the Block cover, which leaned hard on scowls and hoodies), mysterious (the Inception meets old Hollywood romanticism of 2004's Send in the Gowns) or sexy (every year). You can get away with looking soaking wet (as Leo DiCaprio did in 1996), but you can never, ever look happy.

Fully clothed

It's only recently that VF's chosen ones have started dressing for dinner. The first Hollywood Issue cover (1995) had Linda Fiorentino topless, Uma Thurman in a slip and Sarah Jessica Parker striding around in her bra. Equality broke in in 2000, when everyone – boys too – stripped down to their smalls for "Splendour in the Grass". The stars have added layers with the years since, with this 2014's clutch kitted out in full dress suits and long ballgowns. Expect polo necks next year.

Awkward poses

This year's group are in paradise compared to the limb-twisting tableaux of awkwardness that was 1997's The Next Wave. Claire Danes had a headache, Minnie Driver's back was cramping, Cameron Diaz was struggling to loosen the dress and leave the whole sorry mess behind. The set designers this year have finally found somewhere for everyone to sit. Though it's worth noting that a woman still has to lie down to fit the frame: Margot Robbie this year, was Kristen Stewart in 2010, was Gwyneth Paltrow in 2001. A good time to be an osteopath.

The wild card

There's always a couple of "eh?!" actors on VF's spread. For every early sighting of a big-hitter (Matthew McConaughey joined Leo and Will Smith on the 1996 shoot) there's a bit-part player who never made it off the reserve list (Johnathon Schaech anyone?) In a field that includes established stars (Julia Roberts) and hot-shot up-and-comers (Idris, Chiwetel), this year's fruitfly should be Chadwick Boseman (third from right), the star of the Jackie Robinson biopic 42. On closer inspection though, it's the group's most recognisible face that has the least buzz this year. George Clooney is hardly awards-bait this season. Meanwhile Boseman is already causing a stir with his take on the Godfather of Soul for Tate Taylor's James Brown biopic. Clooney will sell the magazine, but for once the newbie's the story.