What is the new Oscars Crisis team and what have they already been called on for?

Published

2 years ago

March 9, 2023

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The Oscars is a ceremony designed to celebrate the year’s best films and the people who made them, but often the awards themselves get overshadowed by other events.

In recent years we’ve seen the wrong film announced as best picture, #Oscarssowhite trending on social media and of course, last year’s now infamous slap by Will Smith, who later went back on stage to accept the award for best actor.

This year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who are behind the ceremony, have for the first time implemented a crisis team who will be on hand should anything unexpected happen.

In preparation the team have been tasked with running practice scenarios, with the intention that they will react instantly should something controversial take place.

But it’s not something that seems to have impacted plans for the show itself.

Speaking at a press conference, the executive producer and showrunner of this year’s Oscars, Glen Weiss, says at the many events he’s worked at there have always been teams in place to deal with difficult moments, but it’s not something he’s focusing on.

“We put on the entertainment, the secret service takes on the other stuff,” he said.

Last month the Academy’s new president (she took on the role last summer) Janet Yang told attendees at the Oscars Nominees Luncheon (an annual event that takes place in the weeks before the awards for those nominated) that she thought changes were necessary following what she described as last year’s “unprecedented event”.

“What happened on stage was wholly unacceptable and the response from the organisation was inadequate,” Ms Yang said.

“We learned from this that the Academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions and particularly in times of crisis.”

“We must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry – you should and can expect no less from us going forward.”

“We are committed to maintaining the highest of standards while creating the changes we wish to see in our industry.”

So, with a crisis team now in place, what are the chances they will actually be called upon? It’s not as if anyone could have predicted the slap ahead of last year’s Oscars.

But Academy CEO Bill Kramer, who is also new, having been in the position since last July, has told Time they have already in fact been put to work after the nominations came under fire following a very short and targeted campaign for Andrea Riseborough.

It saw a week of heavy promotion on social media for the actress’s performance in To Leslie by Hollywood heavyweights including Jennifer Aniston, Ed Norton and fellow nominee Cate Blanchett.

When she was shortlisted for the lead actress award, some critics queried whether the nominations process is fit for purpose.

Mr Kramer told Time the Academy was “much more ready to handle the campaign regulations discussion” thanks to the crisis team.

“That happened on a Tuesday and, six days later, we were able to issue our formal statement from the board that really carved out a plan for us,” he said.

“So you never know exactly what’s going to happen.”

Mr Kramer added: “But you have to have the teams and frameworks in place and the processes in place, to come together to figure things out quickly.”

“But also making sure that you have the right groups of members and leaders and stakeholders who can come together to have a voice in this conversation.”

The Academy has faced criticism in the past for being slow to change, but it seems perhaps lessons have now been learned, and with the Oscars still pulling in millions of viewers around the world (despite declining viewing figures) all eyes will be on the organisation – and its crisis team – should the unexpected happen.

You can watch the Academy Awards on Sunday 12 March from 11pm exclusively on Sky News and Sky Showcase.

Plus, get all the intel from our Oscars special Backstage podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts, from Monday morning.

Entertainment

Marilyn Manson will not be charged over sex assault claims, prosecutors say

Published

1 hour ago

January 25, 2025

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Marilyn Manson will not be charged over sex assault claims, prosecutors say

Marilyn Manson will not be charged following a lengthy investigation into sexual assault and domestic violence allegations, prosecutors have said.

Los Angeles county district attorney Nathan Hochman said some of the alleged incidents had happened too long ago, while there was not sufficient evidence to charge the 56-year-old, whose legal name is Brian Warner, over some of the other claims.

Mr Hochman said: “We have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations, and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.

“We recognise and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation.”

LA county sheriff’s detectives announced in early 2021 that they were investigating Manson for incidents between 2009 and 2011 in West Hollywood, where he lived at the time.

The case was initially turned over to prosecutors in September 2021. However, the probe continued after the county district attorney’s office requested more evidence.

Almost four years after the investigation began, officials said in October that new leads were being pursued, adding to an “already extensive” file.

The identities of the women who spoke to authorities were not revealed, but Game Of Thrones actress Esme Bianco, who sued Manson in a case that has since been settled, said she was part of the criminal investigation.

In an Instagram post, she said she was “deeply disappointed” by the decision not to charge Manson, but was “sadly not surprised”.

She had previously criticised how long the investigation was taking.

In 2021, Manson’s former fiancée Westworld actor Evan Rachel Wood accused him of abuse in an Instagram post.

Wood and Manson’s relationship became public in 2007, when he was 38 and she was 19, and they were briefly engaged three years later before breaking up.

Manson sued Wood over her claims but a judge threw out large sections of the suit and in November the musician dropped the case.

Entertainment

Lynn Ban: Star of reality show Bling Empire dies after skiing accident

Published

1 day ago

January 23, 2025

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Lynn Ban: Star of reality show Bling Empire dies after skiing accident

Lynn Ban, star of Netflix reality show Bling Empire: New York, has died after having brain surgery due to a skiing accident.

The 51-year-old jewellery designer from Singapore died on Monday, her son Sebastian announced on social media – weeks after she underwent emergency brain surgery due to a skiing accident.

Last month, Ban, who lived in New York, shared with her Instagram followers that she “had a ski accident that would change my life” while on holiday in Aspen on Christmas Eve.

She revealed a CAT scan showed she had a severe head injury, including a brain bleed, meaning she needed an emergency craniotomy.

She said she woke up in hospital with her husband Jett Kain nearby, and hoped to recover this year.

In an update on her Instagram account on Wednesday, her son Sebastian wrote: “My mum passed away on Monday. I know she wanted to share her journey after her accident and brain surgery, so I thought she would appreciate one last post sharing the news to people who supported her.

“Many of you followed my mum but never got the chance to know her or meet her in person,” he added.

“I would like to take the chance to share who my mum really was. She was and always will be my best friend, the best mother to me, and someone who cared for all.

“She always had a smile on her face even when times were tough during her recovery process.

“She was a fighter until the end and is the strongest woman I know. She was the funniest and coolest mum I could ever ask for. She took care of me, my dad, and our entire family throughout her whole life.

“Although she may be gone now, I will do everything I can to make sure she is never forgotten and for her life to be celebrated as it deserves to be.

“As a final message to my mum, I would just like to say that I will miss you forever and to end in something she always told me ‘I love you more than life itself’ mum.”

Ban starred in Bling Empire: New York, a spinoff of the popular Netflix reality series Bling Empire, which followed a group of wealthy Asian American socialites living in Los Angeles.

She also had a private jewellery label which catered to a host of celebrities, including thRihanna, Beyonce, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone.

Pop star Rihanna was among those who paid tribute on social media, writing: “2025 is rocking me at this point! This is too much!!! Lynn you will always be our fairy godmother!”

Designers Bea Akerlund and Phillip Bloch, Younger star Debi Mazar, and A Star Is Born actress Drena De Niro also paid tribute.

Entertainment

Emilia Perez breaks records as it leads Oscar nominations

Published

2 days ago

January 23, 2025

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Emilia Perez breaks records as it leads Oscar nominations

Emilia Perez leads the nominations for this year’s Oscars – and has broken the record for the most nominated non-English language film in the history of the awards.

The Spanish-language musical, which tells the story of a Mexican cartel boss who undergoes gender affirmation surgery, stars Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez and Karla Sofia Gascon – who is the first transgender woman to be nominated in an acting category.

It has 13 Oscar nominations in total, including best picture – breaking the record of 10 nods for a foreign language film set by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2001, and equalled by Roma in 2019.

Post-war epic The Brutalist and the blockbuster musical adaptation Wicked follow with 10 nominations each, while papal thriller Conclave and Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown have eight.

All are up for best picture, alongside Anora, Dune: Part Two, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys and The Substance.

In the acting categories, Gascon is up for best actress against Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, Anora newcomer Mikey Madison, and Golden Globe winners Demi Moore and Fernanda Torres, for their performances in The Substance and I’m Still Here respectively.

Timothee Chalamet’s portrayal of Dylan in A Complete Unknown has earned him a nomination for best actor, alongside Sebastian Stan, who is shortlisted for his performance as a younger Donald Trump in The Apprentice.

Adrien Brody, who plays a Hungarian architect attempting to build a life in the US after the Second World War in The Brutalist, is also in the running, alongside British star Ralph Fiennes, for Conclave, and Colman Domingo, for the true story prison drama Sing Sing.

In the supporting actor category, Golden Globe winner Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) is up against his former Succession co-star Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice), along with Yura Borisov (Anora), Edward Norton, (A Complete Unknown) and Guy Pearce (The Brutalist).

US pop singer Ariana Grande gets her first Oscar nomination in the best supporting actress category, for her performance as Glinda the good witch alongside British star Erivo’s green-skinned Elphaba in the box-office smash Wicked. She is up against British star Felicity Jones (The Brutalist), Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Isabella Rossellini (Conclave), and Saldana for Emilia Perez.

The shortlist for best director includes Sean Baker (Anora), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), Coralie Fargeat (The Substance), Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez) and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown).

This year’s nominations announcement was originally scheduled to take place on 17 January, but was pushed back twice due to the wildfires which have devastated Los Angeles since the start of the year.

Winners will be announced at the star-studded Academy Awards ceremony, which is due to be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday 2 March.

Comedian and TV personality Conan O’Brien is this year’s host.

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