Andrea Riseborough's shock Oscars nomination leads to Academy 'overview'

The academy behind the Oscars seems to be investigating Andrea Riseborough, one of many 2023 Best Actress nominees, following the shock nod for the indie flick To Leslie.

The full checklist of nominees was introduced earlier this week, with Riseborough nominated within the Best Actress class alongside Cate Blanchett (Tár), Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans), Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Ana de Armas (Blonde).

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Oscar nominees for greatest actress, from left, Cate Blanchett in “Tár,” Ana de Armas in “Blonde,” Andrea Riseborough in “To Leslie,” Michelle Williams in “The Fabelmans,” and Michelle Yeoh in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” (AP)

Riseborough’s nomination sparked shock and a few suspicion amongst pundits, who questioned the grassroots marketing campaign behind it.

Now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has launched an announcement confirming it’s conducting a “review” of sure marketing campaign efforts.

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The assertion, launched on Friday within the US, learn: “It is the Academy’s goal to ensure that the Awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive awards process.

“We are conducting a overview of the marketing campaign procedures round this yr’s nominees, to make sure that no pointers have been violated, and to inform us whether or not adjustments to the rules could also be wanted in a brand new period of social media and digital communication.”

This picture launched by Momentum Pictures exhibits Andrea Riseborough in a scene from “To Leslie.” (AP)

It concluded: “We trust within the integrity of our nomination and voting procedures, and help real grassroots campaigns for excellent performances.”

Though the statement didn’t mention Riseborough or the Best Actress category specifically, it is widely believed that the Academy was referring to her “marketing campaign procedures”.

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Her bid for a Best Actress nomination was widely documented on social media, where A-list stars like Kate Winslet, Jane Fonda, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow and Amy Adams voiced their support for Riseborough.

Andrea Riseborough, left, and Margot Robbie at the premiere of the film ‘Amsterdam’ in London, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. (Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP)

However, To Leslie made only $27,000 (about $38,000 AUD) on its release last October and wasn’t nearly as high-profile as the other films in the category, including Tár and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

This prompted some film fans to question how the film and Riseborough herself managed to win the backing of so many Hollywood stars.

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The film’s director, Michael Morris, and his wife, actor Mary McCormack, have since been accused of using their industry connections to raise the film’s profile.

According to the Los Angeles Times, they encouraged famous friends to promote the movie across social media. Some believe that affected Riseborough’s best actress nod.

“It was so arduous to consider it would ever occur as a result of we actually hadn’t been within the working for anything,” she told Deadline after receiving the nomination.