Academy 'Conducting A Review' After Best Actress Nominee Andrea Riseborough's Oscar Campaign Sparks Scrutiny
Jan. 27 2023, Published 5:48 p.m. ET
The Academy announced they are officially "conducting a review" after questions were raised about Andrea Riseborough's nomination for Best Lead Actress and whether or not the team behind the movie violated the rules with their grassroots lobbying.
RadarOnline.com has learned about the controversy stemming from the shock nod for her performance in To Leslie, a movie about hardship and redemption inspired by true events.
Some people were taken aback as the nomination for Riseborough "seemingly pushed out Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler, two actresses of color that were backed by well-funded campaigns by Sony and MGM/Amazon," according to Puck.
RadarOnline.com can report that Cate Blanchett, Michelle Yeoh, Ana de Armas, and Michelle Williams are all up for the prize alongside Riseborough.
Michael Morris and his wife Mary McCormack.
A factor raising eyebrows was that director Michael Morris and his wife, actor Mary McCormack, allegedly "contacted nearly every one" of their famous friends asking them to watch the movie and spread the word, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Prior to the ordeal, a slew of celebrities had spoken out in support of Riseborough's captivating and raw performance in the film just before voting opened.
Reports claim that McCormack followed up with an email allegedly sent out, reading, "If you're willing to post every day between now and Jan 17th, that would be amazing!"
There is a rule on lobbying, however, that prohibits "contacting Academy members directly and in a manner outside of the scope of these rules to promote a film or achievement for Academy Award consideration is expressly forbidden."
RadarOnline.com should note that January 17 date marked the ending of the nomination voting period.
The Academy has since released a statement, notably without mentioning Riseborough.
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"It is the Academy's goal to ensure that the Awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive awards process. We are conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees, to ensure that no guidelines were violated, and to inform us whether changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and digital communication," it read.
"We have confidence in the integrity of our nomination and voting procedures, and support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performances."
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