Oscars 2023: Andrea Riseborough's last-minute nomination under investigation

Los Angeles, California - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced an investigation into campaign procedures after Andrea Riseborough scored an unexpected Oscars nomination for the movie To Leslie.

Andrea Riseborough has been nominated for Best Actress at the 2023 Academy Awards for her performance in To Leslie.
Andrea Riseborough has been nominated for Best Actress at the 2023 Academy Awards for her performance in To Leslie.  © Monica Schipper / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

Up until recently, To Leslie had gone pretty under the radar in the buzz of awards season.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, A-list stars, including Laura Dern, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Aniston, all threw their support behind the film with endorsements on social media.

The abrupt campaign took many by surprise, and fans soon took notice of just how similar some of the endorsements were in their phrasing.

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Per Variety, actor Mary McCormack, the wife of To Leslie director Michael Morris, sent an email encouraging the stars to "post every day" about the film on social media.

The Oscar nominations confirmed that the A-list boost had scored Riseborough a Best Actress nod, but a new update suggests that the controversial campaign tactics may risk the 41-year-old's nomination.

Without naming the actor, the Academy shared a statement affirming they are "committed to ensuring an inclusive awards process," per Deadline.

"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," the statement said.

Did the To Leslie Oscars campaign violate Academy rules?

Danielle Deadwyler (l) and Viola Davis were both snubbed in the 2023 Oscar nominations despite acclaimed performances.
Danielle Deadwyler (l) and Viola Davis were both snubbed in the 2023 Oscar nominations despite acclaimed performances.  © collage: KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

On the question of the campaign behind To Leslie , there might be an argument for the violation of one of the Academy's rules regarding references to other nominees.

Actor Frances Fisher shared a post on her Instagram addressing her fellow Academy members and directly referencing Michelle Yeoh, Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis, and Danielle Deadwyler as sure things in the Best Actress race.

According to Variety, this may not necessarily implicate Riseborough herself, as Fisher doesn't appear to be directly involved with To Leslie.

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However, another post, which was shared on the official Instagram page for To Leslie, also named Blanchett, and the post has since been removed.

The controversy surrounding the nomination was amplified due to the snubs of both Davis and Deadwyler, leading to renewed discussions of the Academy Awards' history of excluding women of color, particularly Black women.

Many argue that the success of the A-list campaign only proved the ongoing systemic issues in the industry.

Riseborough commented on her nomination last week, telling Deadline she was "astounded" by the recognition.

Cover photo: Monica Schipper / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

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