And the Oscar goes to ... all about the coordination process of the Academy Awards

In the night from March 2 to March 3, 2025, theAcademy Awardsforgive. And it is already certain that it is heated again after the eventwill give. Be it the lack of recognition of directors, lack of diversity in the acting categories or questionable decisions in the winning films - the selection of the Academy is regularly in the. ButWho is this Academyactually?Esquire explains who decides on the Oscar winners.

The voting process, whoWins, basically very simple and yet there is criticism every year.

The Oscars are awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an organization with over 10,000 industry professionals, of which almost 9,500 are entitled to vote. In the past ten years, this number has increased by almost 65 percent - a result of targeted efforts, moreTo integrate People of Color and international filmmakers. The Academy consists of 17 specialist groups, with each group determining the nominations for their own category. For example, cutter nominate for the best cut whiledecide on the four acting categories. The categoryBest filmon the other hand, is nominated together by all members. Finally, in the final round of voting, all eligible voters may vote on the winners in all categories. As of December 16, 2020, there were 9,427 members entitled to vote.

The members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are experienced filmmakers who are actively involved in the production of cinema films. This includes people from various areas of the film industry, including directing, drama, script, camera, and many other creative and technical professions. The Academy invites outstanding talents that have proven themselves through their work in the industry - often it is earlieror winners. The organization is divided into 17 specialist groups, with each division deciding on nominations in its respective category. The aim of the Academy is to promote a diverse and internationally shaped community that coordinates the allocation of coveted film prices.

Membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is only possible on invitation. Candidates must either have been proposed by two current Academy members from their respective specialist group or have already been nominated for an Oscar. The board of the Academy makes the final decision on the admission. The prerequisite is that the candidates have performed significantly in the film industry, be it as an actor, director, screenwriter or in another area of ​​film production. In recent years, the Academy has worked specifically to diversify its membership base and invite more women, People of Color and international filmmakers. Once recorded, membership usually remains for life.

The nominations for the Academy Awards are determined by the voting members of the respective specialist groups. The Academy provides voters of screener copies, digital streams and exclusive demonstrations, but there is no obligation to actually watch the films. An exception are categories such as "Best International Film" or "Documentary", in which it must be proven that all submitted works have been sighted. The vote follows a preference dial system, which is intended to ensure that all contributions are taken into account as fair.

After the nominations have been determined, all members of the Academy voting vote on the winners in each category. In contrast to the nominations, in which only the respective specialist group decides, all members are entitled to submit their votes in this phase - regardless of their own professional group. The vote is secret and is monitored by an independent auditing company. In most categories, the contribution wins with the most votes. An exception is the "Best Film" category, in which a preference dial system is used. The voters arrange the nominated films after personal preference. If no film receives an absolute majority in the first ballot, the voices of the least chosen film will be redistributed to the second placements. This is repeated until a film reaches the majority. The results remain strictly secret until the Oscar ceremony and will only be announced during the live show.

The "best film" is chosen by a preference dial system, in which the members entitled to vote evaluate the nominated films on a scale of 1 to 10 - from their favorite to the least preferred film. In order to win, a film must receive 50 percent or more of the votes. When no film reaches the 50 percent mark in the first ballot, the film is eliminated with the fewest voices. The members who chose this film as their favorite have given their voice for the next film on their ranking. If the second -placed film of the elected is eliminated, the voice will be redistributed to its third -placed people, and so on. This process continues until a film can combine more than 50 percent of the votes and is therefore determined as the winner of the "Best Film" category. The preference dial system ensures that the winner in this category is not only the most popular film, but also enjoys broad approval among the elected.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does not publish a full list of its members, so the exact number of German members is not publicly known. However, it is known that several German filmmakers are members of the Academy and can therefore participate in the votes for the Oscars. These include the director of the director Florian Henckel from Donnersmarck, Caroline Link or Volker Schlöndorff.