Andrea Riseborough's nomination will not be stripped by the Oscars
Andrea Riseborough, 'To Leslie'
The Academy has decided that British actress Andrea Riseborough can keep her nomination but added that the tactics she used in her film's campaign 'caused concern'. Andrea was an outsider for a nomination but was backed by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Edward Norton.
The Academy, which organises Oscar awards each year, has now reviewed whether the campaign broke its rules.
It concluded that the issues did "not rise to the level that the film's nomination should be rescinded".
Academy chief executive Bill Kramer added 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 has not named those "responsible parties". Andrea has not been accused of wrongdoing. The actress was nominated for her role in 'To Leslie', a low-budget film in which she plays an alcoholic mother from Texas who tries to make ends meet after squandering her lottery winnings.
Andrea's name in the nomination list came as a surprise to many as she was not in the awards radar unlike this year's favourites Cate Blanchett and Michelle Yeoh. However, some high-profile fans voiced their admiration on social media and even hosted screenings which cemented Andrea's spot in the best actress category at Oscars 2023.
The question of whether the campaign broke Academy guidelines is believed to have come down to a few specific posts that not only championed Andrea Riseborough but also made reference to her competitors - which is not allowed.
One since-deleted Instagram post that has been under the spotlight was published by the official 'To Leslie' account.
It quoted Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times, who wrote: "As much as I admired (Cate) Blanchett's work in Tár, my favourite performance by a woman this year was delivered by the chameleonlike Andrea Riseborough."
While the critic was not wrong in making the comparison, it was unlawful for the film to highlight the comparison on social media handles.
Similarly, actress Frances Fisher, who has appeared in 'Titanic' and 'Gone In 60 Seconds', lobbied for Andrea while implying Blanchett, Michelle Yeoh, Danielle Deadwyler and Viola Davis did not need more support because they were "a lock for their outstanding work".
Blanchett and Yeoh were nominated for best actress, along with Ana de Armas and Michelle Williams. But Deadwyler and Davis - who are both black - did not make the shortlist.
Tuesday's statement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added, "The purpose of the Academy's campaign regulations is to ensure a fair and ethical awards process - these are core values of the Academy.
"Given this review, it is apparent that components of the regulations must be clarified to help create a better framework for respectful, inclusive, and unbiased campaigning.
"These changes will be made after this awards cycle and will be shared with our membership. The Academy strives to create an environment where votes are based solely on the artistic and technical merits of the eligible films and achievements."
