The dark arts of Oscars campaigning has again been thrust into the spotlight with the unexpected nomination of Andrea Riseborough in the Best Actress race.
Riseborough received a nod for the little-seen To Leslie, an independent drama which has grossed $27,000 to date, surprising even the most seasoned awards prognosticators.
In the week since Riseborough’s name was read out in a field that also included Cate Blanchett, Michelle Yeoh, Michelle Williams and Ana de Armas, there have been allegations of inappropriate campaigning and it’s dragged in the names of A-listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet.
It’s getting very thorny and the governing body of the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), has even said it will review the nomination process in its upcoming board meeting.
There is the risk Riseborough’s nomination could be rescinded if it’s found there was a breach of rules.
Now, you might wonder why it even matters. A talented performer was acknowledged in a race decided by a group of people with different opinions – this happens all the time.
In many ways, it doesn’t matter. The Oscars is glitz, glamour and a bit of self-congratulatory Hollywood puffery. But the flipside is that winning one still has significance. It can be attention for a smaller project or it could change the cultural discourse which was real-world consequences.
Take, for example, Parasite, the Korean social thriller which won the Oscar Best Picture in 2020. Its triumph as the first non-English language winner of the big gong reflected not just the evolving tastes of elite award voters, but encouraged audiences everywhere to consider a movie outside of their wheelhouse.
Without the cultural conversation which followed Parasite’s win, Squid Game ...
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