Oscars 2023: Did you know, how the Academy decides the best of the best?

While India is celebrating the two wins at the 95th Academy Awards that took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, there will be many who would be wondering how the Oscar winners are selected. If you are one of them, this read is for you, scroll ahead!

The Academy Awards or popularly known as the Oscars are one of the most prestigious awards ceremonies in showbiz. Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) awards Oscars in various categories, such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and many more. The winners are chosen through a voting process that involves the Academy's members, who are film professionals from various fields.

• Here's how the Oscars voting process works:

Eligibility: To be eligible for an Oscar nomination, a film must meet certain criteria, such as being released in the previous calendar year and having a minimum length. In addition, a film must receive at least one nomination from a member of the Academy.

Nomination: The first step in the voting process is the nomination phase. In this phase, members of the Academy nominate films, actors, and other professionals in various categories.

How the Academy decides the best of the best?

• Oscar voting process:

The Oscars voting process is complex and involves a lot of rules and regulations. Voting at the Oscars is a multi-stage process that involves members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) voting to determine the winners of the Oscars in various categories. After the nomination phase, the Academy distributes ballots to its members, who then vote to select the winners in each category. The voting gets conducted in two rounds.

1. In the first round, members vote to select the nominees in each category. For most categories, members can only vote for nominees in their respective branches. For example, the Best Cinematography category voters pool comprises only cinematographers.
2. In the second round, members vote to select the winners from among the nominees. For most categories, members can vote for any nominee, regardless of their branch.

The voting process for each category is slightly different. For example, in the Best Picture category, members rank the nominees in order of preference, and the film with the most first-place votes wins. In some categories, such as Best Director and Best Actor/Actress, members vote for a single nominee.

Did you know, Oscars voting gets conducted in two rounds?

Tabulation: The votes are tabulated by a third-party accounting firm, which ensures that the voting process is fair and impartial. The winners are announced during the Oscars ceremony, which is usually held in late February or early March.

It's worth noting that of late the Oscars voting process has come under scrutiny for its lack of diversity and representation. The Academy has taken steps to address these issues, such as increasing its membership and diversifying its leadership. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that the Oscars truly reflect the diversity of the film industry.

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