Who are the members of the Academy and how are the Academy Award winners voted for?
There is always intense public debate about the Academy Awards nominations and potential winners, but ultimately, the decision lies with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
The 97th Academy Awards, the most prestigious film industry awards ceremony in the United States and worldwide, will take place on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Hollywood’s biggest stars will once again gather at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to celebrate the year’s most outstanding achievements.
As every year, there has been much speculation regarding the Oscar winners across various categories, as well as several controversies. One of the biggest surprises this year was the nomination of “Ainda Estou Aqui” (“I’m Still Here”) for Best Picture, a film that no one expected to see in the race. Oscar controversies are nothing new, as seen in 2024, when the Academy faced backlash for excluding Margot Robbie, the lead actress of “Barbie”, from the nominees.
Follow all the information on the 2025 Oscars
- Oscars 2025, live: ceremony, speeches, and all the winners of the Academy Awards, live.
- List of winners for the 2025 Academy Awards: all the awardees at the Oscars in Los Angeles.
- 2025 Oscar for Best Picture
- 2025 Oscar for Best Director
- 2025 Oscar for Best Actress
- 2025 Oscar for Best Actor
- 2025 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress
- 2025 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor
- Oscars 2025: What is the order of awards and how many categories are there at the Academy Awards?
- What time are the 2025 Oscars? Schedule, TV, how to watch, and where to follow the Oscar ceremony online.
But how exactly does the Academy decide which films, actors, actresses and more are worthy of being nominated, and who picks the nominees?
How are Oscar nominees and winners chosen?
The responsibility lies with the Academy members, a private institution that brings together leading professionals from each of the guilds that make up the North American film industry.
To become a member of the Academy, one must receive a direct invitation. In 2019, The Hollywood Reporter estimated that there were around 9,000 Academy members, but the Academy has confirmed that the number has since grown to 10,500 members.
When selecting nominees in each category, Academy members vote within their respective professional branches. This means that actors nominate actors, composers vote for the best original scores, and so on.
Each voter selects 10 candidates in their category, and the most popular choices make up the final Oscar nomination list. Once the Academy Award nominations are announced, all Academy members vote to determine the Oscar winners, regardless of their profession.
Best Picture category among the exceptions
There are some exceptions to this process, including the most prestigious category of all. The Best Picture Oscar is voted on by all Academy members from the start, both in the nomination stage and in selecting the Oscar winner.
Meanwhile, categories such as Best International Feature Film and Best Animated Feature follow a different process, as their nominees and winners are selected by a special committee.
The 97th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC on Sunday, March 2, 2025. This year, the ceremony will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT, and is expected to end around 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT.
For the first time ever, Conan O’Brien will host the 2025 Academy Awards, taking over after multiple editions led by Jimmy Kimmel.