Understand the complex system behind the statuettes, who the voters are and the mathematics of preferential voting that defines the best film of the year
O Oscar is the most famous award in world cinemabut the process for deciding who takes the stage at the Dolby Theater is much more technical and mathematical than it seems. Unlike festivals with small juries (like Cannes or Venice), the Oscars are decided by a massive vote of thousands of industry professionals. Understanding how voting to choose Oscar winners works requires delving into the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which uses different statistical methods depending on the stage and category.
Who are the gym members
Unlike the Golden Globes (voted on by journalists) or the popular vote, the Oscar is an award for “pairs voting in pairs”. This means that the Academy is made up of professionals who actively work in cinema.
Currently, there are around 10,500 members at the Academydivided into 17 main branches. Each branch represents a specific profession: actors, directors, costume designers, editors, etc.
Actors: They form the largest group at the Academy (representing around 13% to 15% of the total). Because they are the majority, their vote carries significant historical weight, especially in the Best Film category;
Diversity: In recent years, the Academy has made an effort to internationalize and diversify its membership, inviting more women, people of color, and professionals from outside the United States (including Brazilians);
Requirement: To become a member, the professional must be invited after receiving an Oscar nomination or being sponsored by two current members, proving a relevant contribution to the industry.
The two phases of voting
The process is divided into two crucial steps: choosing the nominees (nominations) and choosing the winners.
The indications phase
At this stage, the rule is specialization. Each branch votes only in its own category:
- Actors vote to choose the nominees for Best Actor/Actress;
- Directors vote to choose the Best Director nominees;
- Editors vote for Best Editing, and so on.
The only exception is the Best Picture category, in which all Academy members can vote to determine the nominees.
A fase final
After the list of nominees is announced, the second phase begins. Now the rule changes: all active members can vote in all categories (except short films and international categories if they haven’t seen the films). In other words, a makeup artist votes for Best Sound, and a director votes for Best Costumes. This is when the popularity of a film within the industry counts for more than pure technique.
The math of the best film
This is the most complex and fascinating part. While most categories are decided by whoever has the most votes (simple majority), the Best Film category uses the preferential ballot system.
The goal of this system is to ensure that the winning film has broad consensus, and not just the passion of a small group. It works like this:
Ranking: Voters don’t just choose one film. He must rank all nominees in order of preference (from 1st to 10th place);
Initial count: The audit counts all “1st place” votes. If a film gets 50% + 1 of the votes right away, it wins (this is very rare);
Redistribution: If no one reaches 50%, the film with the fewest 1st place votes is eliminated;
Cat leap: The votes for this eliminated film are not discarded. They are transferred to the film that was in 2nd place on those ballots;
Repetition: The process repeats (eliminates the last one -> redistributes to the next valid preference) until a film passes the 50% mark.
Because of this system, often the film that wins is not the one that had the most “1st place” votes at the beginning, but rather the one that was most people’s “2nd or 3rd favorite.” It’s a system that rewards the least rejected film, and not necessarily the most loved by a niche.
Voting in other categories
For all other statuettes (Best Actor, Direction, Screenplay, etc.), the system is the traditional “winner-takes-all”. Members vote for only one candidate; whoever has the most votes wins; there is no second round or redistribution. In theory, it is possible to win an Oscar in these categories with just 20% or 25% of the votes, if the votes are very dispersed among the competitors.
Curiosities and absolute confidentiality
The entire voting process has been audited by the company PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) for almost 90 years.
Digital ballots: Today voting is almost 100% online, but the system is extremely secure;
The secret: Only two PwC partners know the results before the ceremony. They memorize the winners and take duplicate envelopes to the theater, escorted by police, via different routes;
Campaign: There are strict rules about how studios can promote their films. It is prohibited, for example, to offer luxurious dinners exclusively for members or to send emails denigrating the competition.
Where to watch the ceremony
The awards ceremony, the result of this complex voting, traditionally takes place in the first quarter of the year.
Closed TV: In Brazil, the TNT channel usually holds the broadcasting rights;
Streaming: The Max platform (formerly HBO Max) and, more recently, Disney+ (in specific partnerships) usually show the event live;
Data: In 2026, the ceremony is scheduled for mid-March, maintaining the tradition of ending the awards season.
The Oscar voting system, with its mathematical peculiarities and division by branches, is designed to protect the statuette’s prestige. Although controversies about “snubs” and “zebras” happen every year, the method seeks to reflect the collective vision of the film industry at that historical moment, immortalizing films that manage to speak to most professionals in Hollywood and the world.
