Academy Won’t Rescind Best Actress Nomination
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Tuesday that it would not rescind Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar nomination for best actress, after an investigation into whether an Oscar campaign on her behalf violated the organization’s rules.
“The academy has determined the activity in question does not rise to the level that the film’s nomination should be rescinded,” Bill Kramer, the academy’s chief executive officer, said in a statement. “However, we did discover social media and outreach campaigning tactics that caused concern. These tactics are being addressed with the responsible parties directly.”
The academy declined to say who the responsible parties were.
Ms. Riseborough, a respected British actress, was a surprise nominee last week for her performance as a former lottery winner battling addiction in the little-seen drama “To Leslie.” The film earned just $27,000 at the box office during its initial release in October. Yet Ms. Riseborough became the talk of Hollywood when fellow actors began publicly praising her performance during the Oscar nominating season.
Cate Blanchett mentioned her when accepting a Critics Choice award. Kate Winslet, during a virtual question-and-answer session with Ms. Riseborough and the film’s director, called Ms. Riseborough’s work “the greatest female performance onscreen I have ever seen in my life.”
But the campaign soon drew criticism, with people questioning whether those lobbying on Ms. Riseborough’s behalf did so by calling members personally — an Oscars no-no — and hosting informal gatherings that didn’t comply with academy standards.
A social media post by the veteran actress Frances Fisher raised eyebrows because it named other actresses in Oscar contention, suggesting that their nominations were secure and that people should vote for Ms. Riseborough instead. On Jan. 14, Ms. Fisher wrote that voters should select Ms. Riseborough since “Viola, Michelle, Danielle & Cate are a lock for their outstanding work.” She was referring to Viola Davis, Michelle Williams, Danielle Deadwyler and Ms. Blanchett.
Ms. Davis and Ms. Deadwyler did not receive nominations. Mentioning competitors or their films directly while campaigning is forbidden.
According to Mr. Kramer’s statement, the review by the academy made it “apparent that components of the regulations must be clarified to help create a better framework for respectful, inclusive and unbiased campaigning.”
He added that any changes to the rules would be made after the Oscars telecast on March 12.
“The academy strives to create an environment where votes are based solely on the artistic and technical merits of the eligible films and achievements,” he said.
