Gong wrong? Awards in turmoil

As the Grammys, the Brits and the Oscars are embroiled in again, Robbie Griffiths assesses the wreckage controversy

- Robbie Griffiths

AWARDS season: it's enough to make you want to slap someone in the face, as Will Smith knows all too well. After some headline-making bust-ups in recent years, 2023's glamorous annual music and film industry bashes are once again competing for who can have the biggest meltdown. What's going on? And is there a way to avoid all the public hand-wringing?

First, pity poor British actor Andrea Riseborough. Her first Oscars nomination for Best Actress last month should have been a career highlight. Riseborough plays a struggling alcoholic in To Leslie, a performance that drew rave reviews from critics. It's been less loved by audiences, who didn't flock to see it. So, without studio backing, well-connected director Michael Morris reportedly asked famous friends in the industry for help. Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet posted on social media supporting Riseborough's performance. Riseborough got her surprise Oscar nod.

Then, the backlash. Some in Hollywood decided that Morris's campaign wasn't fair. It didn't help that Riseborough's nomination was then caught up in a race row: none of the best actress nominees were black, despite Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler being highly tipped for their roles in The Woman King and Till respectively. In an interview this week, Deadwyler said the film industry is "deeply impacted by systemic racism". Meanwhile, UK actor Michaela Coel told the Standand ard it was "really weird and a bit depressing" that "phenomenal" well-reviewed African historical action film The Woman King got no recognition.