When British actress Andrea Riseborough’s name was read out as one of this year’s five Academy Award nominees for best actress, it came as something of a surprise to many.
Not because her performance in To Leslie – a small indie film in which she plays a single mother who turns to alcoholism after winning the lottery – wasn’t worthy, but because there had been no substantial awards-season buzz surrounding her before the announcement.
This is how it works: the Oscars is the biggest night in Hollywood, the culmination of awards season, but it’s not the only ceremony in Tinseltown.
Many will no doubt be aware of some of the events, such as the Golden Globes, while others including the SAG awards are less well known. And of course, there is also the BAFTAs in the UK.
Each awards ceremony has its own members voting but you tend to see the same names cropping up on the shortlists, give or take a few.
In 2022, for example, Will Smith, Jessica Chastain, Ariana DeBose and Troy Kotsur picked up the four acting prizes at pretty much every single ceremony, including, finally, the Oscars.
Riseborough, who starred in Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical in 2022 and is also known for The Kindness Of Strangers, Made In Dagenham and Birdman, did not receive nominations for any other awards this year, and nor did To Leslie.
However, before the Oscar nominees were announced, Riseborough did publicly receive the backing of some very prominent A-listers (more on this later).
During awards season, film studios campaign, campaign, campaign – which means projects with the biggest budgets are more likely to get noticed by voters.
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The To Leslie campaign was reportedly self-funded and relied on word of mouth to get noticed.
Questions have now been raised as to whether Riseborough’s nomination was fair – in an escalating row which has led to criticism once again of diversity at the Oscars, where none of the best actress nominees are black – and seen her co-star and others speaking out to defend her.
Although it did not mention To Leslie, the Academy, which organises the Oscars, has announced it is conducting a review of award “campaign procedures” to ensure no guidelines were violated this year.
The issue is due to be discussed at its next meeting later today.
So what is Oscar campaigning? What did Riseborough’s celebrity backers apparently do wrong? Is any of it really fair? Here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Angela Riseborough?
The 41-year-old actress is known for her work in the Oscar-winning Birdman, and for playing Wallis Simpson in WE and the former prime minister in Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk To Finchley.
In 2022, she starred in the latest adaptation of Matilda, playing Matilda’s mother Mrs Wormwood alongside Stephen Graham as Mr Wormwood, as well as Emma Thompson as Ms Trunchbull, Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey, and Alisha Weir in the titular role.
She also starred in Battle Of The Sexes, about the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, playing King’s lover Marilyn Barnett, and appeared in an episode of Black Mirror.
Riseborough was the first British actress to formally support the #4PercentChallenge, urging members of the film industry to work with female directors, following its launch by Creed actress Tessa Thompson at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019.
She is nominated for her performance in To Leslie, a small-budget film which reportedly grossed around $27,000 (about £22,000) at the box office, according to US entertainment site Variety.
Which celebrities supported her?
In the run-up to the Oscar nominations, To Leslie broke through with the Academy seemingly in no small part thanks to a campaign by some of the most prominent names in Hollywood.
Indeed, Cate Blanchett, who is also up for the best actress Oscar alongside Riseborough, used her Critics’ Choice speech to praise the Brition – along with others, it should be noted.
“Best actress, I mean, it is extremely arbitrary considering how many extraordinary performances there have been by women; not only in this room, but Andrea Riseborough and Tang Wei, Penelope Cruz, the list goes on and on,” she said. Blanchett continued by saying she wanted to change how awards work and highlight the “raft” of performances.
Fellow Hollywood stars including Kate Winslet, Amy Adams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, Zooey Deschanel, Frances Fisher and Helen Hunt have also praised Riseborough’s performance.
Fisher, known for films including Titanic and Unforgiven, has been particularly vocal on social media about the actress’s performance.
What’s wrong with any of this?
There’s nothing wrong with encouraging Oscar voters to watch a particular film, or praising a performance.
However, some posts supporting Riseborough on social media may have broken Academy rules if they reference “competition” by name or title.
If a formal complaint is filed, this could result in Fisher receiving a one-year suspension from the Academy, according to reports.
There is no suggestion that Riseborough broke rules herself.
But questions remain as to the authenticity of the backing for her. Were all these supporters genuinely wowed by her performance, or simply friends in high places, helping out a mate?
What is Oscar campaigning?
Studios can spend millions of dollars promoting their films in the run-up to and during awards season, making sure they have the attention of voters.
The aim is to construct a narrative that a film is “Oscar worthy”.
Billboards go up, screening events are held, the stars will walk red carpets, do interviews, meet the right people.
In 2016, Susan Sarandon called for “campaign finance reform”, saying the Oscars campaign race had become “enormous”.
What has the Academy said about the latest controversy?
A statement released by the Academy on Friday did not reference Riseborough or To Leslie specifically.
“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,” the statement read.
“We are conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees, to ensure that no guidelines were violated, and to inform us whether changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and digital communication.
“We have confidence in the integrity of our nomination and voting procedures, and support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performances.”
Why has this led to criticism about diversity at the Oscars?
This year, none of the best actress nominees are black.
Riseborough and Blanchett (Tar) are up for the award alongside Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) and Ana de Armas (Blonde), while strong contenders Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) missed out.
Following the nominations announcement, Till director Chinonye Chukwu posted a statement on Instagram, saying: “We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women.
“And yet.
“I am forever in gratitude for the greatest lesson of my life – regardless of any challenges or obstacles, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be one of my greatest forms of resistance.”
Of course, Davis and Deadwyler’s names being missing from the shortlist is not Riseborough’s fault.
When it comes to analysis of the nominees, the nods for de Armas and Williams have also been questioned – de Armas as the Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde has been widely panned, despite her performance being praised, and Williams as the role of Mitzi Fabelman in The Fabelmans is considered by some to be a supporting role.
Support for Riseborough
Following the Academy’s announcement, stars have spoken out in defence of Riseborough and To Leslie.
In the latest episode of his WTF podcast, her To Leslie co-star Marc Maron criticised the Academy’s investigation.
“Apparently, the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences or whatever the f*** it is has decided to investigate Andrea Riseborough’s grassroots campaign to get her the Oscar nomination,” he said. “Because I guess it so threatens their system that they’re completely bought out by corporate interests in the form of studios.
“Millions of dollars [are] put into months and months of advertising campaigns, publicity, screenings by large corporate entertainment entities and Andrea was championed by her peers through a grassroots campaign which was pushed through by a few actors.
“The Academy is [like], ‘Well, we gotta take a look at this. This is not the way it’s supposed to work. Independent artists don’t deserve the attention of the Academy unless we see how it works exactly. So, we’re going to look into this’.”
Actress Christina Ricci apparently also defended Riseborough in an Instagram post, which has reportedly since been deleted. According to US entertainment site Deadline, the star wrote: “So it’s only the films and actors that can afford the campaigns that deserve recognition? Feels elitist and exclusive and frankly very backward to me.”
Well, it’s down to the Academy to decide. Many think it’s unlikely Riseborough’s nomination will be withdrawn.
But even if she remains in the race, the nomination may now seem tainted – and following the initial positive reaction to her nod, voters could see her as too controversial to pick to win.
And for studios: why bother with all the promo when A-list recommendations can make even more impact?
Whether rules have been broken or not, this saga has lifted the lid on the deep pockets of awards campaigning – and how it’s good promo, not necessarily just a good performance, that can turn a film or a star into a winner.
Watch the Oscars exclusively on Sky Showcase on Sunday 12 March from midnight. Sky News will be live on the red carpet at the ceremony in Hollywood on Sunday 12 and live with the winners at the Vanity Fair party on Breakfast with Kay Burley, on Monday 13 March
A Scottish singer plucked from obscurity at the last minute to replace Olly Murs as the opening act for Take That in Glasgow has told Sky News he thought the life-changing opportunity was a “joke”.
Daniel Rooney, 26, was playing at the Radisson Red hotel opposite the OVO Hydro when news broke that Murs was forced to cancel his support act on Friday due to transport issues.
TV presenter Ross King, who was enjoying a family dinner at the hotel, was impressed with Mr Rooney’s vocals and recommended the singer to his friend and Take That frontman Gary Barlow.
With 30 minutes to go before the show was due to start, Mr Rooney was quickly whisked to the arena and opened the festivities with a range of upbeat cover songs.
Barlow later thanked him on Instagram.
Mr Rooney, from Cambuslang in South Lanarkshire, told Sky News he thought it was a wind-up at first.
He said: “I was thinking, ‘right, who’s trying to play a wee joke on me here’. But thankfully it wasn’t a joke and Ross King was saying, ‘I’ve got an opportunity of a lifetime here, Danny boy, so are you up for it?’
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“And I was.”
Mr Rooney started to feel a mixture of emotions on his way to the stage. As well as excitement, he began to feel apprehensive about what he was going to play.
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He said: “I was obviously buzzing just to get that news. It was just mental.
“I had a wee discussion with the boys from Take That, who were brilliant and really good with me.
“We just agreed on making it really fun and making the songs nice big singalongs.
“It was just really great. The crowd were brilliant, and they sang to every song and the feedback was magic.”
Mr Rooney paid tribute to Mr King for the opportunity and thanked him for his warm introduction onstage to explain the situation to the crowd.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr King said: “I was listening to [Mr Rooney] while I was having dinner and was very impressed – never thinking that 30 minutes later I’d be saying ‘come with me and support Take That’.
“Gary Barlow is one of my closest pals and I’ve known the band since 1990. When Gary called me and said ‘you’re going to have to go on, Olly is stuck in London’, I thought it was a wind-up. But no.”
Mr King agreed to go on, but then pitched the idea of Mr Rooney.
Mr King added: “Daniel was the coolest guy in the Hydro and played a blinder. I was thrilled to share the stage with him and help out my old mates too.
“I know this has made news all around the world, so I hope Daniel continues to have the success he deserves.”
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Murs apologised for cancelling his performance at short notice after falling foul of flight issues.
The former X Factor star said he had been at Heathrow from 11am ahead of his performance on Friday night, but the flight was cancelled after “several delays” and an accident with a cabin crew member.
He later shared a video of himself being driven to Glasgow for his Saturday and Sunday performances.
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine programme on Monday, Murs paid tribute to Mr Rooney for holding his nerve and being able to perform in front of an arena crowd of thousands with just 30 minutes’ notice.
Murs said: “Fair play to him, that’s amazing. You know what, credit to him.”
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Malmo, Sweden, this year.
It’s a spiritual homecoming of sorts with Sweden’s supergroup Abba – who are the most famous band ever to come out of the contest – crowned the winners 50 years ago.
Loved and loathed in equal measure for its euro pop earworms, evocative power ballads, and eye-watering novelty acts, there’s no clear frontrunner for this year’s show – meaning it’s all to play for.
The political elephant in the room is of course Israel’s participation in light of the ongoing Gaza war, with many artists encouraged to boycott the event due to their participation.
As it stands, no act has withdrawn from the contest.
So, with 37 countries heading into the semi-finals ahead of a grand final featuring 26 songs on Saturday, who might we see take first place on the night?
The top three
Croatia is currently the country to beat, with Baby Lasagne (real name Marko Purisic) singing Rim Tim Tagi Dim.
The 28-year-old bleach-blonde frontman says the title doesn’t translate as anything, other than a catchy repeated riff, but a serious theme lies beneath the full-on performance.
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The song describes the tension of young Croatians leaving their homeland to seek better opportunities abroad, through the character of a farm boy who leaves his home – and his cat – to become a “city boy”.
Another hot favourite is Switzerland, with Nemo singing The Code.
The 24-year-old non-binary performer draws on their childhood opera singing to pull together an impressive song which scales rap, rock, drum ‘n bass and classical opera.
The message in this one is self-acceptance and the freedom for each one of us to live our lives openly and without fear of judgement.
Meanwhile, a song that’s been growing in popularity is Ukraine’s Teresa & Maria sung by Alonya Alonya and Jerry Heil.
Alonya, 28, is a well-known rapper in Ukraine, while Heil, 32, found fame on YouTube and appeared on the country’s version of X-Factor.
Utterly hummable, the folk-inflected anti-war song paying tribute to Mother Theresa and the mother of Christ has a strong heritage and shares a songwriter with Kalush Orchestra’s winning 2022 entry Stefania.
In with a chance
Also in the running is Italy with Angelina Mango’s La Noia, which translates as “Boredom”.
The 23-year-old told Italian rock magazine Rockol that while boredom is often seen as a negative thing, she sees it as a time for self-discovery, adding: “Between a life of highs and lows and one of boredom, I will always choose one of highs and lows, but I will always leave myself time for boredom too.”
Meanwhile, Netherlands act Joost has by far the biggest earworm of the crop with Europapa – a song that will delight and infuriate in equal measure. Indeed, one early review of the song proclaimed it was so bad, it had the power to “put you off music forever”.
Despite the silliness of the happy hardcore-infused pop song and the OTT nature of his shoulder-pad-enhanced performance, 26-year-old singer Joost Klein had a heartbreaking inspiration for the song – the loss of both his parents by age 13.
The track is about an orphan who travels around Europe trying to find himself, as his father taught him to believe in a Europe without borders, celebrating the national food of each nation en route.
Host country Sweden is also seen as having a chance for back-to-back wins, represented by Norwegian twin brothers Marcus and Martinus Gunnarsen performing their presumptuously titled song Unforgettable.
But Eurovision voters – made up equally of public votes and a jury of music experts – will of course be the judge of that.
Other notable mentions include France’s Silmane giving a heartfelt rendition of Mon Amour and Ireland’s Bambie Thug singing Doomsday Blue – a song she’s described as “an electro-metal breakdown”.
What about the UK?
As one of the “Big Five” (the countries that contribute the most to the EBU along with France, Germany, Spain and Italy) the UK is guaranteed a place in the final. Plus, as the host nation, Sweden gets an automatic pass too.
This year the UK are represented by ex-Years And Years star Olly Alexander singing the dance-pop track Dizzy.
Performed in a glass box full of boxers, quirky choreography and a catchy refrain have placed it in the top 10, but we’re unlikely to be contenders for the top spot.
Indeed bookmakers reckon the UK are more likely to come last than nail the top spot.
Controversy this year
There have been calls on the European Broadcasting Union EBU to ban Israel from competing in the show, due to their ongoing ground offensive in Gaza.
An apolitical organisation, the EBU has said Israel will remain in the competition.
In comparison to Russia’s removal from the show back in 2022 due to its invasion of Russia, the EBU say Israel’s broadcaster Kan hasn’t broken any rules. They say Moscow was banned for using their broadcasting channels as a tool for political propaganda multiple times.
Normally strong Eurovision contenders, four-time winners Israel is represented by 20-year-old Eden Golan, and ranks in the top 10. But how the public will vote for them in the second semi-final heat on Thursday remains to be seen.
Golan’s song Hurricane was Israel’s third proposed entry after contest bosses rejected their first two songs over lyrics deemed political.
More than 34,000 people have been killed, and over 78,000 have been injured in Gaza since the conflict began, according to Gaza’s Hamas-led health ministry.
Israel retaliated after Hamas fighters killed more than 1,000 Israelis and took hundreds of hostages in attacks on 7 October last year.
Any other songs that have stirred up a fuss?
Spain’s entry, Zorra, by husband and wife act Nebulossa, has drawn controversy because its title can be translated as an anti-female slur.
While it’s been officially translated as “Vixen,” it’s a term used in Spain which would translate in the UK as “Bitch” or “Slut”.
Lyrics include: “If I head out solo, I’m a bit of a bitch/ If I’m having fun, I’m the biggest bitch/…When I get what I want (bitch, bitch) /It’s never ’cause I deserve it (bitch, bitch) … Well, she’s been empowering herself, And now she’s a picture-perfect bitch.”
The Feminist Movement of Madrid has called for it to be withdrawn from Eurovision, saying it insults women and is not suitable for a family audience.
Singer Maria Bas has argued her lyrics describe how a woman is referred to as a “zorra” no matter what she does, and that the song highlights society’s double standards, reclaiming a word that is weaponised against women only.
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Spain’s prime minister added his twopenneth this week, saying he liked the song and joking about how right-wing critics might have preferred the national anthem used during the Franco dictatorship as Spain’s Eurovision submission.
The hard-right Vox party hit back by saying Pedro Sanchez would prefer to listen to the communist anthem The Internationale.
The Eurovision semi-finals are on Tuesday and Thursday evening, ahead of the grand final on Saturday night.
Sky News will be in Malmo with updates, a live blog, and all the biggest news from the contest as it happens.
Elijah Wood and other Lord Of The Rings cast members have paid tribute to their co-star Bernard Hill, who died on Sunday aged 79.
Hill played King Theoden in the Oscar-winning fantasy franchise directed by Sir Peter Jackson.
Wood, who played Frodo Baggins, said on X: “So long to our friend, our king. We will never forget you.”
He also shared a quote from JRR Tolkien‘s novel, on which the films are based, writing: “For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning.”
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Dominic Monaghan, who played Merry Brandybuck in the trilogy, wrote: “The Broken king has passed to the grey havens but he will always be remembered. #ripbernard.”
Hill joined the franchise’s cast for the second film in the series, 2002’s The Two Towers, which won two Academy Awards for best sound editing and best visual effects.
He returned to the franchise for 2003’s The Return Of The King, which picked up 11 Oscars, including best picture and best director for Sir Peter.
The actor had been due to attend Comic Con in Liverpool over the weekend but the event announced on Saturday that he had to withdraw at the last minute because of his partner becoming “very ill”.
The post on X added: “He sends his sincere apologies and thanks you all for your understanding.”
Later footage from the event shows Hill’s co-stars paying tribute to him on stage, with Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings, saying: “He was intrepid, he was gruff, he was irascible.”
Billy Boyd, who played Peregrin “Pippin” Took, said: “We were watching the movies and I said to Dom, I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as Bernard did.”
Hill first made a name for himself as Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s BBC drama series Boys From The Blackstuff, about five unemployed men, which aired in 1982.
The role earned him a BAFTA TV nomination in 1983, the same year the show picked up the BAFTA for best drama series.
In the 2015 BBC adaptation of the Hilary Mantel novel Wolf Hall – about the court of Henry VIII – he played the Duke of Norfolk, uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.
He can currently be seen in the second series of BBC drama The Responder starring Martin Freeman, which began on Sunday night.
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Bernard Hill dies aged 79
Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, described him as an “incredible talent” who “blazed a trail across the screen” during his career.
“From Boys From The Blackstuff, to Wolf Hall, The Responder, and many more, we feel truly honoured to have worked with Bernard at the BBC.
“Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.”
Actress and singer Barbara Dickson, who starred with him in a musical based on The Beatles, described him as a “marvellous actor”.
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Alongside a picture of them together, she wrote on X: “It’s with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill.
“We worked together in John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert, (by) Willy Russell marvellous show 1974-1975.
“A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny x.”
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