Behind the Scenes of Oscar-Voting

Am I the only one who is regularly disappointed by the Oscar winners? As if the people who vote for them do not even watch the movies. Actually, that may have been true until last year, when the Academy announced a new rule requiring voters to watch the movies before choosing a winner. 

The rule is applicable from 2026 onward, but will it affect the 98th Academy Awards? Before we can assess that, let us see what the Oscar-voting process looks like and if there are other questionable practices we should be aware of.

 

Who gets to vote?

Only members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) can vote for the Oscars. According to Gold Derby, this includes around 10 000 professionals in the film industry, divided into 19 branches such as directors, writers, actors, etc.  

There are two ways to become part of the Academy. Either two Academy members of the same branch should vouch for you, or you get nominated/win during the awards (which is ultimately decided by the same people).

The Oscars are a highly secluded organization, dominated by white men. This problem was first recognized by the #OscarsSoWhite movement in 2015. Since then, the Academy has tried to expand and diversify the pool of voters. 

According to its records, in the years between 2015 and 2020, the number of active women members has doubled, constituting 33% of all members. For members of underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, the number has tripled, and in 2020, they were 19% of all members. 

 

How does voting work? 

Stage 1: Preliminary Voting

For 12 of the 24 categories, an initial round of voting takes place preceding the nominations. During this stage, voters shortlist 10 standout contenders in each category. Part of creating the shortlists is the so-called “bake off.” During this delicious-sounding process, voters watch behind-the-scenes 5-minute reels, followed by Q&A sessions with the presenters. 

 

Stage 2: Nominations

During the nominations, all 24 categories are voted on. Generally, members vote for nominees of their corresponding branch. So, actors vote for actors, directors vote for directors, etc. An exception is the category for Best Picture, for which every member of the Academy can vote. 

There can be no more than five nominations for each category, and up to 10 for Best Picture. They are chosen through a secret preferential ballot system, which is based on ranking. Voters list nominees in order of preference. If a nominee does not get enough votes to meet the threshold, which depends on the number of voters and contenders, they are eliminated.   

 

Stage 3: Winners

The last stage is similar, except that everyone can vote for everything.  

When it comes to the Best Picture category, the crown jewel of the ceremony, members rank nominated films from 1 to 10. As before, the film with the lowest number of votes is eliminated. If your favorite film gets eliminated, your ballot is redistributed to your second favorite film. This goes on until one film hits the 50% mark.  

This means that the winner is the most widely liked among the voters, even if it was not their first choice. Compared to a simple majority vote, the current system secures consensus among members. 

 

Why is voting important?

The Oscars are one of the most prestigious film awards, according to film critic and curator Ezra Winton.

When it comes to global cinema representation, Winton does not think the Oscars do a great job. According to him, “If you look at the winners, the last 96 years, almost three quarters are from Hollywood, from America, and the vast majority of them are from the big studios.” Winton believes the lack of diversity among voters is a major cause for that and points to the BAFTA awards as a good example of a more diverse film body. 

However, a diverse pool of voters does not ensure effective voting. “What was happening prior to them changing the rules last spring is something called bandwagon voting,” says Winton, and explains that Academy members used to judge a movie based on its vibes or popularity. He believes that, although the Academy cannot prove whether the movie-watching requirement is met, its introduction will have a positive effect on the awards. 

Edited by: Vasil Paskov

 

 

This article was brought to you by AUBG Daily's title sponsors: 

• United Bulgarian Bank (Member of KBC group)

And

• BG MARKET