Winners at this year’s Academy Awards may hold their Oscars upside down. The great and good of Hollywood are not being clumsy, though. It’s a deliberate act of protest that has been planned by those upset with the changes the awards body has made to the glitzy ceremony.
According to Deadline, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently announced plans to pre-record the presentation of eight (mainly technical) awards, relegating them from the live ceremony. Karol Urban, the president of Cinema Audio Society, told Deadline that there are loose plans among members to subtly protest these changes, including wearing Academy badges upside down and holding Oscars upside down.
“There is a multitude of different organizations that are working together to find ways to circumvent having their voices clipped,” Urban explained. “As the Oscars get closer, more and more craft people are showing solidarity. If there’s anything positive that comes out of this very terrible situation this year, it’s that we are becoming more solidified as the day comes closer.”
Deadline sources claim the idea is spreading from the sound community though to other Academy members. Several actors, directors, and other film luminaries have criticised the decision to pre-record some categories, including Steven Spielberg, Jessica Chastain, and Jane Campion.
Meanwhile, the Academy maintains that the changes to this year’s ceremony are necessary to help the awards show maintain faltering ratings. Last year’s Oscars were the least-watched since record-keeping began in 1974.
If you love the Oscars, you probably love great movies, so check out our list of the best movies ever made.