Oscars nominees told to show up in person as Zoom is ‘not an option’

Poster art for best picture Oscar nominations. Top row from left: The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, Minari. Bottom row from left: Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Credit: Sony Pictures Classics/Warner Bros. Pictures, Netflix, A24, Searchlight Pictures, Focus Features, Amazon Studios, Netflix via AP

On the dress code, the producers said: “We’re aiming for a fusion of Inspirational and Aspirational, which in actual words means formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casual is really not.”

In a rather curt statement, nominees were also told: “If you’re thanking someone, say their name, not their title. Don’t say MY MANAGER, PEGGY just say PEGGY. Make it PERSONAL. The audience leans back when they see a winner with a piece of paper in their hand.”

The letter concluded: “Much has been lost and much has changed since the last Oscars. 

“We will acknowledge that while reminding viewers of the power and necessity of stories to carry us forward, and how movies, in particular, create a special kind of connection between people all over the world.”

Vanessa Kirby, Gary Oldman and Carey Mulligan are all nominated, while Emerald Fennell has become the first British female director to be shortlisted for best director.

Early favourites include Netflix’s Mank, starring Oldman as social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J Mankiewicz, which has 10 nominations.