The Academy Awards (known colloquially as ‘The Oscars’) is the most prestigious awards show in film – and winning an award (even simply having a nomination) can catapult a film’s box-office earnings, while offering the actors, actresses and various other winning roles higher-paid salaries, notoriety, and film offers. Winning an Oscar, without question, is one of the most coveted landmarks for anyone in the film industry.
Last week, during nominations week, the lists were announced for the 95th Academy Awards. Tevya Turok Shapiro wrote an incredibly concise roadmap of the nominations for Daily Maverick, found here. With the awards itself taking place on March 12th, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, there is now a window period in which nominees can prepare and process for a potentially life-changing win. Many of the biggest hits of 2022 received nods – with outstanding films like Everything, Everywhere, All At Once receiving 11 nominations in total (such as Michelle Yeoh for Best Lead Actress and Ke Huy Quan for Best Supporting Actor) and box-office behemoths like Avatar : The Way of Water and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis for Best Picture. So, how come, among the best and known films of 2022 – a tiny, independent film ‘To Leslie’ found a spot, with its lead actress Andrea Riseborough receiving a nomination? Unknown and unheard of, and for a film grossing just $27 000 at the box office, how could this happen?
It is currently believed across the media circuit that Mary McCormack, the wife of the film’s director, Michael Morris, led a blatant lobbying campaign to bring the film to the attention of the voting committee: the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences. Such lobbying is expressly forbidden, and entirely against the stringent rules held sacrosanct by the commitment for nearly a century. One of the first to report on the ‘shocking nomination, Puck’s Matthew Belloni wrote that McCormack and others “emailed and called tons of members of the Academy’s actors branch, begging them to see the little-watched alcoholic drama and post online about Riseborough’s searing performance.”
Image 1: Andrea Riseborough on the red carpet by Steve Granitz Image 2: 'To Leslie' Film Poster via imdb.com
Whether Riseborough’s performance is noteworthy or not – the Academy is again under-fire for blatant perpetuation of white-washing the nominations – a reputation it is both responsible for and continues to contend with. Belloni wrote, “Riseborough seemingly pushed out Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till), two Black actresses of that were backed by well-funded campaigns by Sony and MGM/Amazon, respectively, and were widely predicted to score honors, yet presumably do not have access to a network of powerful (and, let’s be honest, white) friends in the Academy to campaign for Oscars on their behalf. To some, it was the worst kind of racially-tinged cronyism, where the connections outshined the work.”
With this year’s nominations making history for the most Asian nominees – why does it appear that The Academy continues to exclude and include simultaneously? With a review process now underway – it is hoped that Riseborough’s nomination will be rescinded, or at the very least – explained.
This is a developing story.
Featured Image: Oscar Statues by Matt Sayles
Written by: Holly Beaton
Published: 31 January 2023
