Andrea Riseborough’s controversial Oscar nomination is not withdrawn after an academy review.
The British actress was surprisingly nominated for this year’s Best Actress category for her performance in the low-budget drama To Leslie after a last-minute campaign by celebrities including Kate Winslet and Gwyneth Paltrow. Allegations of unfair tactics were made and the Academy announced an internal review of campaign procedures.
“Based on concerns that surfaced last week surrounding the To Leslie Awards campaign, the Academy has begun a review of the film’s campaign tactics,” it said in a statement today. “The Academy has determined that the activity in question is not of a level that would warrant de-nomination of the film. However, we have identified social media and outreach campaigns that have raised concerns. These tactics are discussed directly with those responsible.”
A Los Angeles Times article alleged that director Michael Morris and his wife, actress Mary McCormack, reached out to many celebrity friends to ask for their support on social media, with many resulting tweets containing similar wording to advance the film. However, both are not Academy members.
The film’s official review also shared a post citing an excerpt from the best films of the year by critic Richard Roeper, who compared Cate Blanchett’s performance in Tár. An official Academy rule states that “any tactic that promotes ‘competition’ by name or title is expressly forbidden.”
The Academy’s statement continued: “The purpose of the Academy’s campaign regulations is to ensure a fair and ethical award process – these are core values of the Academy. In light of this review, it is evident that there are elements of the regulations that need to be clarified to help create a better framework for respectful, inclusive and impartial campaigning. These changes will be made after this award cycle and communicated to our members. The Academy strives to create an environment where voting is based solely on the artistic and technical merits of eligible films and performances.”
Earlier this month, Riseborough received support from her co-star in the film Marc Maron and actress Christina Ricci, who claimed the investigation was “elitist and exclusive and quite frankly very backward for me”.
Riseborough is included in the category alongside Cate Blanchett, Ana de Armas, Michelle Williams and Michelle Yeoh. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw praised Riseborough in his review, hailing it as “a superb achievement”. The film will be re-released in theaters having grossed just $27,000 (£21,936) on release.