Andrea RiseboroughOscar nomination for independent drama”to leslie” will not be rescinded, but the use of social media in a grassroots campaign supporting her did not sit well with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
After the film academy announced that it would be “conducting a review of campaign procedures” In the wake of Riseborough’s surprise best actress nomination, the body’s board of governors deliberated at a meeting previously scheduled for Tuesday.
“Based on concerns raised last week surrounding the ‘To Leslie’ awards campaign, 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Academy has determined that the activity in question does not rise to the level that the film’s nomination should be rescinded. However, we discovered social media and outreach campaign tactics that caused concern. These tactics are being addressed directly with the responsible parties,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer said in a statement.
“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 films’ artistic and technical merits and eligible achievements,” he concluded.
Since the announcement of the Oscar nominations, industry professionals and reporters have been debating whether the 41-year-old English actor’s awards campaign violated any of the Academy’s strict rules and guidelines. Directed by Michael Morris, “To Leslie” grossed just $28,000 at the box office. That didn’t stop a best actress campaign from forming, along with rumors that the group may have used “aggressive” tactics to target the 1,302-member Actors Branch to secure a nomination for Riseborough.
Among the most prominent potential campaign violations was a instagram post since deleted from the “For Leslie” account which quoted an excerpt from Richard Roeper’s Top 10 Films of the Year, referencing fellow Riseborough best actress nominee Cate Blanchett (“Tár”).
Variety spoke to multiple anonymous AMPAS voters over the past week, with most agreeing that there were no wrongdoing and that his nomination should not be rescinded. That has only happened nine times in the Academy’s history.
The Academy’s first statement after the nominations were announced did not specifically mention Riseborough or “To Leslie”.
“We are conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees to ensure no guidelines were violated and to let us know if any changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and communication. digital,” the statement read. “We are confident in the integrity of our nomination and voting procedures and support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performances.”
Annually, the Academy and its Board of Governors meet for a post-mortem post-ceremony to discuss any potential changes to the program or its rules. Updates and revisions to the rules and regulations may come after the oscar Ceremony on March 12.
Bill Kramer, executive director of the Academy, also sent a letter to Academy members, echoing many of the sentiments 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 the social media and outreach tactics that caused concern. We are addressing these concerns directly with the responsible parties.
The purpose of the Academy campaign rules is to ensure a fair and ethical award process: these are core values of the Academy. Clearly the components of these regulations need to be clarified to help create a better framework for a respectful, inclusive and impartial campaign. The Academy continually evaluates and develops our policies, rules and procedures, and these changes will be made after this awards cycle and shared with our members.
We want our members to cast their Oscar votes based solely on the films’ artistic and technical merits and eligible achievements. The integrity of our esteemed institution depends on it. As we approach the final vote, please be sure to adhere to the Academy’s Standards of Conduct and current Awards rules and campaign regulations. Also, please refrain from publicly discussing your voting preferences or attempting to persuade others to vote in a similar manner.
If you have any questions about these rules and regulations, please contact member-relations@oscars.org. As always, thank you for upholding the Academy’s values – our members help define who we are as an organization. We have an amazing lineup of films and artists to honor at the Oscars on March 12, and I hope you all come together to celebrate.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Bill Kramer
Executive Director
