Movies

Andrea Riseborough retains her Best Actress Oscar nomination

January 31, 2023

Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar nomination for indie drama ‘To Leslie’ won’t be overturned, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ use of social media in a grassroots campaign supporting her didn’t sit well .

After the film academy announced it would be ‘conducting a review of campaign procedures’ following Riseborough’s shock Best Actress nomination, the body’s board deliberated during a meeting previously scheduled for Tuesday.

“Based on concerns that surfaced last week around the ‘To Leslie’ awards campaign, the Academy has begun a review of the film’s campaign tactics. The Academy has determined that the activity in question is n “not rise to the level for the film’s nomination to be rescinded. However, we have uncovered social media and outreach campaign tactics that have raised concerns. These tactics are being addressed directly with the responsible parties,” said the Academy CEO Bill Kramer in a statement.

“The purpose of the Academy’s Campaign Rules is to ensure a fair and ethical awards process – these are core values of the Academy. Given this review, it is evident that the elements of the rules need to be clarified. to help create a better framework for respectful, inclusive, and unbiased campaigns. These changes will be made after this awards cycle and will be shared with our members. The Academy strives to create an environment where votes are based solely on artistic and technical merits of eligible films and achievements,” he concluded.

Ever since the Oscar nominations were announced, industry professionals and journalists have been wondering if the British actor’s awards campaign violated any of the Academy’s strict rules and guidelines. Directed by Michael Morris, “To Leslie” earned just $28,000 at the box office. But Riseborough’s publicists and supporters mounted a low-cost Oscar campaign, leading to rumors that the group exercised “aggressive” tactics to target the 1,302 members of the Actors Branch.

Among the most significant potential campaign violations was a deleted Instagram post from the ‘To Leslie’ account that quoted an excerpt from Richard Roeper’s Top 10 Movies of the Year, which referenced Riseborough’s Best Actress nominee , Cate Blanchett (“Tár”).

The variety spoke with several anonymous AMPAS voters over the past week, with the majority agreeing that there was no wrongdoing and that his nomination should not be overturned. This has only happened nine times in the Academy’s history.

The Academy’s first statement after the nominations were announced did not specifically name Riseborough or “To Leslie”.

“We are conducting a review of campaign procedures around this year’s nominees to ensure that no guidelines have been violated and to advise if changes to the guidelines may be necessary in a new era of social media and communication. digital,” the statement said. “We have confidence in the integrity of our nominating and voting procedures and support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performance.”

The Academy and its board meet annually for a post-mortem after its ceremony to discuss any potential changes to the show or its rules. Updates and revisions to the rules and regulations could arrive after the Oscars ceremony on March 12.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer also sent a letter to Academy members, echoing many of the sentiments expressed in the statement. A copy of the letter is below:

Dear members of the Academy,

As I’m sure many of you have read, there have been some concerns about recent campaigns. Through our review, we uncovered social media and outreach tactics that raised concern. We address these concerns directly with the responsible parties.

The purpose of the Academy’s Campaign Rules is to ensure a fair and ethical rewards process – these are core values of the Academy. It is obvious that the elements of these regulations need to be clarified to help create a better framework for respectful, inclusive and unbiased campaigns. The Academy is continually evaluating and evolving our policies, rules, and procedures, and those changes will be made after this rewards cycle and shared with our members.

We want our members to vote for the Oscars based solely on the artistic and technical merits of eligible films and achievements. The integrity of our prestigious institution depends on it. As we head into the final vote, please ensure that you adhere to the Academy’s Standards of Conduct and the current rules of rewards and campaign regulations. Please also refrain from publicly discussing your voting preferences or attempting to persuade others to vote the same way.

If you have any questions about these rules and regulations, please contact member-relations@oscars.org. As always, thank you for upholding the values of the Academy – our members help define who we are as an organization. We have an incredible group of films and artists to honor at the Oscars on March 12, and I hope you all join them in celebrating.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Bill Kramer
Chief Executive Officer