The Secrets to Winning an Oscar

With the release of the 2025 Oscar nominations, I felt the urge to win the race of writing 'the most relevant article about the Oscars ever.' Of course, I’ve already lost that race, but it got me thinking about movies that are designed to court the Academy’s favour long before the creators even assemble a writer's room.

The Oscars have always held a unique place in cinematic history, embodying both economic implications and a symbolic benchmark of excellence. A nomination alone can pave the way for future success and opportunity. Sure, there are other prestigious awards—the Golden Globes, Cannes, Sundance, and a plethora of critic and fan-favourite accolades—but, none are as publicly watched, commemorated, and remembered as the Academy Awards. Iconic Oscar moments are scrutinized, from who provoked who to which celebrity managed the most stoic poker face when their name wasn’t called.

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To be clear, I’m not here to bash these traditions. I’m not that jaded, yet. And I’d be lying if I claimed I didn’t devour these moments, dissect them with friends, and secretly feel a strange sense of superiority while doing so. After all, no one is more out of touch than rich celebrities celebrating their acting achievements for delivering lines written by someone else, right?

Wrong.

Best photos from Oscars 2022 red carpet, ceremony and backstage - Los  Angeles Times

I went down a rabbit hole of Oscar wins, losses, and nominations from the last 25 years, trying to uncover the root cause of the public's perennial dissatisfaction with Academy decisions. What I found was a business empire—one that, though obvious, still operates largely unchanged to this day. It all started in 1998 with Saving Private Ryan directed by Steven Spielberg, it seemed like a shoo-in for Best Picture. Critics raved, calling it "a film that transcends cinema," and "the most grotesque and accurate portrayal of war we've seen in decades." News outlets reported how many veterans couldn’t finish watching the film because the depictions felt too real. Spielberg’s meticulous craftsmanship left no doubt in anyone’s mind that the film would sweep the Academy Awards. But when Harrison Ford opened the envelope for Best Picture, it wasn’t Spielberg’s magnum opus that emerged victorious. Instead, it was Harvey Weinstein, leaping out of the envelope to slap him in the face and claim the prize for Shakespeare in Love.

Weinstein, now one of the most reviled figures in Hollywood, was synonymous with the Oscars for years. His shadow looms large over the industry, even as the Academy grapples with his disgrace and the outing of other predators. While he didn’t invent Oscar campaigning, he perfected it. Weinstein’s relentless promotion of his films fundamentally reshaped how directors and producers strategize for awards season, a formula that remains the standard. In fact, his efforts were so pervasive, that most of Hollywood overlooked his abusive behaviour just to be part of the success—because the systems he created were valuable insights into what campaigns look like today. This isn't meant to validate or awe at his achievements, but rather to reflect and dissect why the industry replicated these tactics that show a lot about the academy's values and integrity.

Shakespeare in Love and Harvey Weinstein's Dark Oscar Victory | Vanity Fair

Weinstein and his brother Bob founded Miramax Studios, which quickly developed into one of if not the largest and most profitable production houses for independent film. Their low-budget, critically acclaimed projects served as their growth strategy—primarily because these films would earn back all of their budgets and double their profits after a nomination was announced. However, Weinstein's efforts to get his films nominated were above and beyond what anyone had ever predicted. His tactics included seeking access to academy voters through setting up screenings in motion picture retirement homes, tracking when they would go on holiday and screening in those locations, calling individual voters to "nudge them in the right direction" and even hosting parties for their cast and crew where academy voters would be invited (this is strictly prohibited, by the way). This list of schemes doesn't even include whisper campaigns where Weinstein bashed Spielberg's movies to various critics and don't even get me started on the hold he had over women in the industry who were blackmailed and legally bound to not speak out.

Oscars | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Once I started to pay attention to these savvy press releases and targeted advertising, Oscar campaigns now seem way too familiar—probably because these strategies work so well. Miramax wasn't just known for their award campaigns, they also represented an interesting industry dynamic for the press to unpack. They spearheaded the entertainment journalism discourse that pitted indie films against blockbuster films regarding which strengthened the integrity of the art form—I say this ironically, obviously. Nothing scares the Academy like bad press, so when controversies such as this one reached the mainstream public eye, they switched up their tactics and fired the bad guys.

Campaigning in the current film landscape translates a little differently now, especially when it comes to being socially aware. This social awareness affects the optics of how the public perceives desperate campaigning versus letting the art speak for itself. The 2024 Oscars were a prime example of this. Bradley Cooper, who had been developing his film Maestro for years, drastically altered his appearance and appeared in numerous press tours alongside the Bernstein family—only to lose to the subtle, quiet and humble Cillian Murphy. This shows how industry standards and public perception have shifted; pushing too hard to persuade people instead of trusting your artistic ability can sometimes bite you in the ass.

OscarSoWhite vs. #WallStreetSoWhite | Canada's National Observer: Climate  News

Diversity has been a huge issue at the Oscars, often criticized as the “all-white awards,” for typically favouring caucasian men. Before #OscarsSoWhite, a social justice campaign that started five years ago, the problem was largely ignored. The ongoing discrepancy that 92% of top film directors were men, and 86% of lead roles in major films went to white actors wasn’t a mainstream concern, least of all on Hollywood’s biggest night. The backlash from this controversy slowly changed things, and by 2016, the industry’s outdated incentive structures had started to tilt in favour of increased diversity, both in front of and behind the camera.

Despite the small steps forward, the racism backlash also bred an onslaught of films that play the diversity card without actually pushing any boundaries for the marginalized groups they claim to represent. It comes off as wanting to have your cake and eat it too. Look at Green Book (2018) or The Blind Side (2009). Did you know systemic racism marginalized Black Americans? Don’t worry—a white saviour is here to tell you racism is bad and stereotypes are wrong! My hero!

It might seem like I’m just complaining about everything, as if no matter what changes the Academy makes, they’ll never satisfy me. But that’s not true—over the last few years, the nominees have been fairly well-balanced. I was happy to see some of my favourite, most creative, and robust films like Anora and Dune: Part Two make the list. That was ruined when I saw Emilia Perez receive 13 nominations. Like many others, I couldn’t wrap my head around how this mediocre—if not outright offensive—film even got considered. Yes, I watched it, and no, I'm not just hopping on the bandwagon to validate my confirmation bias. But seriously, what's the deal? Are we in another Miramax situation where Academy members were secretly being wined and dined?

Well… not really. But kind of.

Watch EMILIA PÉREZ | Netflix Official Site

James Cameron, a renowned director, praised the film for being “nothing like [he’s] ever seen." Tragically, he meant that in a good way, and he has a massive influence on his peers. Another thing to consider is that Emilia Perez was directed by Jacques Audiard, a widely respected French filmmaker with multiple awards and high critical acclaim from his native country. His reputation alone gave the film enough credibility to sway both critics and the industry into viewing it as artistic and unique from an international perspective—never mind how culturally inaccurate and offensive it was to the groups it aims to represent. The film’s momentum started with a win at the Cannes Film Festival, triggering a snowball effect. Once a film gets recognition at these highly visible, optics-driven festivals, its path to success becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Not to mention Netflix’s aggressive awards-season campaign, which ensured Emilia Perez was one of the most widely accessible nominated films. And here’s the catch-22: The Oscars have become increasingly focused on international films as part of their push for diversity in nominations. But whether this is driven by genuine intention or just another strategic move for optics? We probably won’t know until later.

I’m well aware, like the rest of you, that the Oscars are, and probably will remain—a game of politics. But I can confidently say that every few years, small changes are made, and new voices are heard—maybe not in the most efficient way, but in a way that my peers and I can at least mock. I’ve genuinely built new connections through criticizing and debating the Oscars, so if anything, the real award was the friendships we made along the way.

Anyway, for the fun part—I figured if nothing matters anymore and the golden statues are just glorified doorstoppers, why not apply for the Oscars yourself?

It's pretty easy, just follow this formula for a guaranteed victory:

  1. Make a Film about a Real Person (bonus points if they have an addiction and they're good with women)
  2. Make it a Musical (about a war where America suffers the most)
  3. Be a Man (white)
  4. If you're not a white man, be a woman (but not too eager)
  5. Stereotype an Entire Culture (bonus points if you've never actually talked to anyone from that culture)
  6. Spent 90% of your budget on advertising (but don't be too desperate... It's embarrassing)
  7. Make your actors lose or gain a lot of weight (have them regret this in press tours)
  8. Do not make a comedy (are you crazy?)
  9. Actually show a bold, unique and heartfelt experience that will resonate with many people by transcending the boundaries of what film can be—making you fall in love with the medium again and again, for decades after the credits roll
  10. Be Meryl Streep

Good luck, and see you next year!

Everything to Know About the 96th Oscars | Academy Newsletter
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