Academy to change campaign rules after Andrea Riseborough nomination

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made a decision in the case of Andrea Riseborough at the 2023 Oscars. The interpreter will retain her nomination for Best Actress; however, the organization plans to modify the rules of the golden statuette campaigns after this awards season.

The British actress earned this honor with To Leslie, a modest indie film that garnered voters attention with unconventional tactics. Those involved directly approached friends within the Actors Branch to show them the tape and seek their support in spreading the word. The word-of-mouth effect reached Kate Winslet, Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Jamie Lee Curtis, Laura Dern, Amy Adams or Charlize Theron, among other actresses. All of them publicly praised the work of Andrea Riseborough; some even organized screenings of the film.

Despite the fact that specialists considered that the campaign was late, Andrea Riseborough was the biggest surprise of the 2023 Oscar nominations. She got a place on the shortlist for Best actress with Ana de Armas (Blonde), Cate Blanchett (TÁR), Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) and Michelle Yeoh (Everything everywhere at the same time). Out of contention were Viola Davis (the king woman) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till: Justice for my son), who seemed like sure-fire Academy Award contenders.

You might also be interested: The unprecedented campaign that led Andrea Riseborough to compete for the Oscar.

The 54 members of the Board of Governors reviewed this Tuesday the campaign of To Leslie as part of your monthly meeting. The foregoing, after accusations that said tactics would have violated its statutes. Although the Academy will not withdraw Andrea Riseborough’s nomination from the 2023 Oscars, they will implement changes to the campaign rules. According to the organization, this will be done so that “the votes are based solely on the artistic and technical merits of the eligible films.”

Here is the statement signed by Bill Kramer, executive director of the Academy:

“Based on the concerns that were raised last week around To Leslie, the Academy began a review of the film’s campaign tactics. The Academy has determined that the activity in question does not rise to the level where the film’s nomination should be revoked. However, we discovered outreach and social media campaign tactics that caused concern. These tactics are being addressed directly with the responsible parties.

The purpose of the Academy’s campaign rules is to ensure a fair and ethical award process – these are core values ​​of the Academy. Given this review, it is clear that the components of the regulations need to be clarified to help create a better framework for a respectful, inclusive and impartial campaign. These changes will be made after this award cycle and will be shared with our membership. The Academy strives to create an environment in which votes are based solely on the artistic and technical merits of eligible films and their achievements.”

The 95th edition of the Oscars will take place on Sunday March 12 of 2023 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Check HERE the complete list of nominees.