The Academy announces that they are conducing a review of campaign procedures following the surprise Oscar nomination of Andrea Riseborough.
The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards ceremony were announced earlier this week, and just like every year, there were surprises and snubs all around, but one surprise certainly has people talking. Andrea Riseborough was nominated for Best Actress in To Lea, a drama about a single mother who takes up a job at a motel after she has wasted her lottery winnings on drugs and alcohol. The controversy arose due to the “targeted campaigning conducted by its supporters on behalf” of the actress, prompting the Academy to issue a statement that they would be conducting a review of campaign procedures.
“It is the Academy’s goal to ensure that the Awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive awards process,” the Academy’s statement reads. “We are reviewing the campaign procedures surrounding this year’s nominees to ensure that they have not violated the guidelines and to inform us if any changes may be required in the new era of digital communication and social media. We have confidence in the integrity of our nomination and voting procedures, and support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performances.”
As you can see, the statement from the Academy doesn’t mention To Leslie or the Andrea Riseborough nomination directly, but most are reading between the lines. “The idea you need endless resources, that I don’t believe is necessarily true,” Riseborough stated after the Oscar nominations were announced. “The people that made sure that this was possible are our community. It feels like the film community rallied around and made a noise.“Related
ToLeslie used aggressive tactics to spread their message. The Academy rules prohibit individuals from giving their personal signature, personal greetings, or pleas for the film to voters. However, there is no evidence that Andrea Riseborough did this directly. The nomination team realized that they needed only 218 of the 9,579 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members who could write her name down. The grassroots campaign found champions in Edward Norton, Jane Fonda, Cate Blanchett, and many other celebrities, but some have argued that the campaign forced Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) out of the running.No matter what happens, the controversy has undoubtedly put To Leslie on the map for those who wouldn’t have even heard of the film otherwise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_k63vvm3mU
