My husband Jack votes. So do thousands in the film industry. In order to vote, you need a sponsor to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
You or the production company nominate for the various categories. When the initial ballot is ready, only those in the peer group vote to get down to the final 5. Writers vote on writers, actors vote for actors, costumers for costumers. But once there are the final 5 – everyone votes for all categories.
Actors make up the majority of the Academy members. So often the votes are scewed to actors – i.e. Clint Eastwood receiving the most votes for his directing. (Not to say that he didn’t deserve the awards – but it is a fact.) There are certain favorites among actors, and certain that are out of favor. This plays a big role when voting.
The selection method is reversed for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Emmys. Once again, the studio and/or producers make the initial nomination. But all the Academy vote to get down to the final five. Then – only peer groups vote on the final five. For some of the categories the peer groups actually go to a hotel, view all five nominations, and cast their vote right there.
Either way, it’s a fun guessing game for all of us. Maybe this information can help you in your office Oscar Pool.
