How Do They Choose The Best Actors; 5 Steps to Awarding the
Oscars
If you are a fan of the movies, you may be wondering about the
process that's involved in selecting the best actors that are
awarded Oscars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences. Indeed, the manner in which the best actors and
actresses are chosen for Oscars is a rather complicated process
on some level. With that said, the nomination and election
process for movies, actors, actresses and the like within the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been in place
for years. The process seems to work well although some recent
complaints have been voiced in regard to the advertising
campaigns that now surround the awards process following the
announcement of nominees.
The first step in selection the best actors in
movies as part of ultimate awarding of the Academy Awards or
Oscars is the nomination process. The Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences is made up of men and women who are
professionals in fields related to the making and production of
movies. A slate of nominators is appointed by the Academy to
come up with the names of the actors and actresses who will be
put before the enrolled members of the Academy as nominees for
Academy Awards. The actors and actresses are nominated for their
work in movies that were produced and that were presented in
theaters during the preceding year. Needless to say, a
nomination for an Academy Award is one of the highest honors
that a person who works in the movies can receive at any time in
their lives.
Following the nomination process, voting by
select members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences occurs. The voting process employed by the Academy when
it comes to rewards for movies is rather interesting and unique.
For example, all of the actors who are enrolled members of the
Academy vote on the slates of best actors and best supporting
actors who have been nominated for Oscars for their roles in
movies. Likewise, directors vote on the directors prize,
screenwriters on the screenwriters prize and so forth. All
members of the Academy are able to vote on those movies
nominated for best picture.
Prior to the actual voting process, a very
active promotional campaign takes part on behalf of the
nominated actors from various movies. In recent years,
significant advertising campaigns have been mounted in support
of the different actors, actresses and other professionals
involved in movies. Ads are taken out in the trade publications.
Banquets are held promoting different movies. Thousands and
thousands of dollars are spent promoting the nominated movies,
the actors, the actresses and the nominees in a variety of other
categories. Indeed, the campaigning for Oscars has become one of
the most competitive ventures in all of Hollywood -- even more
competitive than the scrapping and clawing for roles in movies.
Once the voting deadline passes in regard to
selecting the best actors in movies for the year, the ballots
are tabulated by an independent accounting firm. As each vote is
cast for the movies and professionals under consideration, the
ballots are sent to an accounting firm that holds them in a
secure location. The accounting firm tabulates the votes
relating to the various movies in secret. For years, the
accounting firm that handled these magical movie awards was the
venerable agency of Price-Waterhouse. Not even the men and women
who serve as officers of the Academy know who the winners are in
advance of the award ceremony itself.
On the night of the televised awards, the
winners from the various movies in the best actor, best actress
and other categories are announced. Essentially no one knows who
the various winners are prior to the announcement of the various
awards during the award show presentations for the various
movies, performances and the like.
In conclusion, and as an interesting aside, the Academy Award
statuette was not always known as "Oscar." In fact, it was
screen legend Bette Davis who dubbed the Academy Award statuette
"Oscar." During an Academy Awards ceremony some years back Bette
Davis remarked that the statuette looked exactly like her
husband ... who was named "Oscar." Oscar stuck.