These are the contents of the 2024 Oscar nominees’ gift bag

Whether or not they take home a golden statuette at this month’s Academy Awards, nominees at the 96th Oscars will once again receive what has become known as the “ultimate swag bag”.

Created by the entertainment marketing company Distinctive Assets, the “Everyone Wins” gift bag is packed with goodies whose overall value is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the Los Angeles-based firm’s founder, Lash Fary.

What is in the 2024 Oscars gift bag?

In a press release issued last month, Distinctive Assets confirmed the contents of its 2024 Oscars gift bag, which will be handed to Hollywood stars such as Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Lily Gladstone and Robert Downey Jr.

It includes vouchers for an all-inclusive stay at Switzerland’s exclusive Chalet Zermatt Peak - where a week can cost in excess of $100,000 - and a “seven-day holistic wellness retreat” at Golden Door, a luxury spa resort in San Marcos, California. Gift bag recipients also get three nights in a “breathtaking private villa” in St Barths.

In addition to free stays in five-star accommodation, 2024′s “Everyone Wins” bag features a wide range of top-of-the-line beauty products, from brands such as Miage Skincare, Adonis Arcana and Danucera. There are also designer pillows and pillowcases; artisan handbags and backpacks; luxury kitchen appliances; flowers; collectors’ edition Rubik’s Cubes; books; all kinds of food and drink… and much more. Take a look at Distinctive Assets’ lengthy list of gifts.

Creator defends Oscars gift bag

Given that the Oscars’ lavish gift bags are given to nominees who generally boast multi-million-dollar wealth, the “Everyone Wins” tradition - which is not officially linked to the Academy - has, unsurprisingly, received criticism.

Ahead of the 2022 Oscars, for instance, the British comedian and actor Ricky Gervais wrote on X, the social-media platform then known as Twitter: “I hope this show helps cheer up the ordinary people watching at home. If you’re unemployed for example, take some comfort in the fact that even if you had a job, your salary probably wouldn’t be as much as the goody bag all the actors have just been given.”

Fary concedes that gift bag recipients are more than rich enough to purchase the contents themselves, but argues that show business celebrities are in a “uniquely favorable marketing position” to give exposure to brands that need and/or merit the publicity.

“While our gifts may be famous for being fun, fabulous and unique, they also serve to elevate small businesses, minority-owned brands, female entrepreneurs and companies who give back,” he said in Distinctive Assets’ news release. “This is celebrity marketing with a mission.”

He added: “Just as any A-list actor doesn’t ‘need’ millions of dollars to walk onto a film set, these gifts are given based on the invaluable stardust these nominees can bestow upon a brand. Of course, they can afford to buy these things; they are also in a uniquely favorable marketing position. This is a straightforward win/win transaction.”

Who has been nominated for the 2024 Oscars?

Nominated for her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone is the favourite to win Best Actress. She is up for the award alongside Annette Bening (NYAD), Carey Mulligan (Maestro), Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) and Emma Stone (Poor Things).

Best Actor, meanwhile, appears likeliest to go to Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy, whose fellow nominees are Colman Domingo (Rustin), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Bradley Cooper (Maestro) and Jeffery Wright (American Fiction).

Oppenheimer is also the frontrunner to win out in the Best Picture category, ahead of American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Past Lives, Poor Things and Zone of Interest.

2024 Oscars: date, start time, TV channel

Held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, the 2024 Academy Awards take place on Sunday 10 March 2024. The ceremony, which is to be hosted by the comedian and talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel, is scheduled to begin at 4pm PT/7pm ET. Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the 96th Oscars on ABC.