Who determines the winners of the Oscars now?

For movie lovers, this weekend might be one of the most important of the year: this Sunday, the Oscars (Academy Awards) will be awarded. Finally, it will become clear what the best film of the past year is, and who gets to say the words ‘thank you to the Academy’. But who are they actually thanking, who chooses those winners? This is how it works.

Who or what is the Academy?

With this commonly used phrase in acceptance speeches, the winners address The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A jury of 10,894 film professionals, of whom 9,905 are allowed to cast their votes. According to the (online) Academy regulations, you can actually become a member of this group in two ways. Anyone who receives an Oscar nomination can automatically participate in the voting from the following year. Another option to join is when two existing members nominate you to The Academy; they must first approve it. Once a member, you join one category, such as actors, directors, or costume designers. When determining the nominees, you can only vote in that category and for best film. When it’s time to determine the final winners, each jury member can vote for all awards. It may sound strange, but Academy members do not have to have seen all the films to vote. They are asked to watch as many as possible, but with all the busy schedules, that often doesn’t happen. To keep it fair, they can only choose from the nominees they have seen. Anyone who has not been able to watch enough can always withdraw from the jury. Voting takes place online and completely anonymously, all in the hope that Academy members do not influence each other and that it remains as fair as possible. Whether that really works is difficult to say according to film journalist Alexander Zwart. “Friendship politics and vying for a favor have always been part of the Oscars. With online and anonymous voting, you have no idea who is influenced by, for example, a smear campaign.”

More diversity

The members of The Academy have caused major discussions for years; the jury was almost exclusively made up of white men. According to Zwart, the tipping point was reached in 2015: “#OscarsSoWhite went around on the internet, especially because that year all twenty Oscar-nominated actors were white. The same thing happened in 2016, again only white actors. Since then, The Academy has taken measures for more diversity among its members.” That year, 683 new members were invited, of whom 41 percent were from outside the US. With a special campaign called A2020, The Academy aimed to increase the number of women, underrepresented ethnic communities, and international members. When that succeeded, an extra step was taken with a new plan: Academy Aperture 2025. New, more inclusive rules were introduced that films had to meet to obtain a nomination, and the Academy board was required to undergo training on unconscious bias. ‘Regular’ jury members could also do this, but it was not mandatory for them. According to Zwart, all these changes have a clear reason: “The Academy is becoming increasingly aware of the global stage and will try to reflect that with its members, so that in case of a crisis, it can at least point to those diverse members, ensuring that on paper everyone is represented. It seems to be working in practice as well; the lists of nominees have become increasingly colorful in recent years.”

With the new intake of 2024, another 487 members joined: 44 percent women, 41 percent from underrepresented ethnic groups, and 56 percent from outside the US. In total, The Academy is now about one-fifth non-Americans. How many of them come from Europe is unknown, as the official list of the entire jury remains secret. However, it is noticeable that more European members are joining: more films from creators outside the US are getting chances, and nominated celebs are increasingly coming this way.

European promotion

Winning an Oscar is of course a great honor, and actors and creators will do everything they can to maximize their chances. With a more international jury, this also means more promotional trips abroad. Shortly after her win at the Golden Globes, Demi Moore appeared at the Giorgio Armani Privé spring 2025 show in Paris; all to stay in the picture and secure votes for her film ‘The Substance’. Timothée Chalamet also packed his bags; he attended the Berlin International Film Festival. He was a guest at an exclusive press conference and screening of his film ‘A Complete Unknown’. According to film teacher Sebastiaan Khouw, such festivals are a must to increase your chances. “It’s a good way to generate more interest in your film.” And the Netherlands can now also play a role in this. “The Movies That Matter Festival has become an Oscar-determining festival this year. Films screened there also have a greater chance of being nominated for the Oscars,” says Khouw. To earn that title, festivals must meet a number of Academy requirements; there must have been at least seven editions. If everything checks out, the Academy will determine whether the application is approved.

But those are not the only places to gain more attention. A few days after Berlin, she appeared Timothée at the BAFTA awards in London, which according to Zwart was also a deliberate choice. “During promotional tours, it’s mainly about showing your face, also at as many award shows as possible. Winning awards there and giving a nice speech is your best promotion for securing an Oscar nomination – and maybe even the Oscar.” Whether all these outings have really worked will be revealed this coming Sunday. Those who want to watch live might want to brew a strong pot of coffee to spend from one to five in the morning on the couch.