How to Win an Oscar

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Written By Guest User

Winning an Oscar (Academy Award) is one of the most coveted achievements in Hollywood. Every year, millions of people around the world tune in to The Academy’s elegant ceremony to see who’s who in the world of filmmaking.

Though even being nominated for an Oscar award is considered an honor by many, whoever is lucky enough to win an award in one of the many Oscar awards categories is sure to rise on Hollywood’s starmeter.

Without further ado, let’s get into how to win an Oscar so that you can join the list of academy award-winners like Daniel Day-Lewis, who won in 2013 for Lincoln, Cher, who won in 1988 for Moonstruck, and Leonardo Di Caprio who finally won for The Revenant in 2016.

What is The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Looking For?

The most current formula to snag an academy award win was crafted by dgquarterly.com. According to their analysis, your chances for winning an Oscar are highest if you:

  • Play a fictional character who is North American

  • Set the time period in present day or recent past

  • Play a character who works as a soldier, lawman or performer

  • Play a character who participates in no sexual scenes

  • Play a character who does not die on screen

These factors might contribute to an Academy Award win, but there are more things to consider when going for Oscar gold.

The Oscars Voting Process

It’s important to understand how the voting process within The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences works so that you can prepare for how to win your Oscar. The Oscars Voting Process is as follows:

  • The Academy is comprised of approximately 6,000 voting members. 

  • For most Oscar award categories, members are divided into their respective disciplines within the film industry to vote for nominees: directors nominate directors, actors nominate actors - and so on. 

  • A second round of voting is used to determine the winners in each category. All members vote in most categories, including Best Picture.

  • Winners are announced live on TV during the ceremony.

Winning an Oscar Award Costs Money - The Campaign

There is more to winning an Oscar than just making a great film. Behind the scenes, there is an entire campaign that takes place. Many people liken Oscar campaigns to political campaigns.

Your best bet is to partner with a major movie distributor, such as Sony Picture Classics, that can afford a reputable Oscar campaign. Campaigning for an Oscar film requires the following:

  • Advertisements that include the words “for your consideration”

  • Invitation-only parties

  • Media coverage

  • Entertainment Industry Panel Discussions

  • Private Screenings

  • Print marketing materials

  • Special digital releases to watch online or DVD screeners for members to receive via mail

You can take an in-depth look into the rules for running an Oscar campaign on Oscars.Org: https://bit.ly/OscarCampaign

Consider The Timing of your Movie Release

Just like every other aspect in life, timing is everything. While the Academy Awards take place at the top of every year, there is a window in which your movie must be released in order to be eligible for the upcoming Oscars Ceremony.

Releasing it too late could push eligibility an entire year. If you release it too close to the submission date, buzz for the film may not even have enough time to ramp up. Release your movie too soon and buzz for the film may fizzle out early.

The current cutoff date to release a film can be found on Oscars.Org’s submission page: https://submissions.oscars.org

What has worked in the past?

There is no one-way to win an Oscar, but there are some trends we can look at to see what has worked in the past.


Holocaust Films

Holocaust films have a history of winning Oscars. These films include:

  • Schindler’s List (1993) - 7 Oscars

    • Year of Oscar Win(s): 1994 

    • Award(s): Best Picture (Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen, Branko Lustig), Best Music (John Williams), Best Directing (Steven Spielverg), Best Cinematography (Janusz Kaminski), Best Writing (Steven Zaillian), Best Production Design (Allan Starski, Ewa Braun), Best Film Editing (Michael Kahn)

  • Film: Sophie’s Choice (1982) - 1 Oscar

    • Year of Oscar Win(s): 1983

    • Award(s): Best Actress (Meryl Streep)

Gain or Lose Weight

Gaining weight worked for Robert Dinero, Hilary Swank and Goorge Clooney for their respective Oscar wins.

  • Raging Bull (1981) - 2 Oscars

    • Year of Oscar Win(s): 1981

    • Award(s): Best Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Film Editing (Thelma Schoonmaker)

  • Million Dollar Baby (2004)- 4 Oscars 

    • Year of Oscar Win(s): 2005

    • Award(s): Best Motion Picture of the Year (Clint Eastwood, Albert S. Ruddy, Tom Rosenberg), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Hilary Swank), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Morgan Freeman), Best Achievement in Directing (Clint Eastwood)    

  • Syriana (2005) - 1 Oscar

    • Year of Oscar Win(s): 2006

    • Award(s): Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (George Clooney) 

Losing Weight Worked for Natalie Portman in 2010’s Black Swan.


Play a Real Person

Playing a real person woked for Sean Penn, Charlize Theron, and Helen Mirren in their respective roles:

  • Milk (2008) - 2 Oscars

    • Year of Oscar Win(s): 2009

    • Award(s): Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Sean Penn) , Best Writing, Original Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black) 

  • La Vie En Rose (2007) - 1 Oscar

    • Year of Oscar Win(s): 2008

    • Award(s): Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Marion Cotillard) 

  • The Queen (2006) - 1 Oscar

    • Year of Oscar Win(s): 2007

    • Award(s): Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Helen Mirren) 


For an even more in-depth look of past Oscar Winners, check out Business Insider’s article: The 44 actors who have won multiple Oscars, ranked by who has won the most

Which Oscar Do You Want?

While actors and directors typically get the most shine in Hollywood, those who work in the entertainment industry know that the world of production involves many other people with important jobs. 

The Academy Awards, therefore, provides many opportunities for projects to win an Oscar. Here’s a look at all current oscar awards categories and when they were implemented, according to wikipedia:

So, There you have it, that’s how to win an Oscar! From us here at V SHADES, good luck on your journey of fame and success!

Guest User
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