Winning an Oscar may be the ultimate goal, but let’s not overlook the $125k gift bag, complete with luxury trips and cosmetic surgery.
We all know that every actor wants to take an Oscar’s trophy home. The thirteen-and-a-half inch tall golden figure is the utmost recognition within the world of acting, a catapult launching aspiring actors into stardom, or cementing any long-timers into the hall of fame. Lesser known, however, is the fact that that being a nominee can also come with its fair share of perks. Gift bags full of 125,000 dollars worth of them, to be precise.
For its 21st year in a row, marketing agency Distinctive Assets has been in charge of the Oscar’s ‘consolation prizes’; gift bags crafted and sent to nominees in both the acting and directing categories. They come in two suitcases, a touch of convenience especially delivered to ensure nominees are ready to take their goody bags home with them after the ceremony.
What comes inside these gift bags (or gift-suitcases), is nothing short of impressive. This year’s most notorious gift was a lavish $40,000 three-night stay at The Lifestyle in Ottawa, Canada. Not only does the stay cover for the luxury property which comes equipped with all sorts of commodities, but also boasts of a fully stocked gourmet fridge and the possibility of driving some pretty impressive cars such as the 1965 Shelby AC Cobra 427 Roadster or a 2023 McLaren Artura.
The hefty 125,000 dollars of the gift bag extravaganza doesn’t stop there. Nominees also receive things such as a stay at the Faro Punta Imperatore Lighthouse in Ischia, Italy, a $12,000 arm liposuction or a hair restoration consolation valued at $7,000, amongst others. In true gift-bag nature, its contents are as random as they come.
But there’s a catch. Or two, to be precise.
Not every nominee receives these extravagant “everybody wins” prizes. It is up to the governing goody-bag body to decide which categories will receive the bags, with this year encompassing those for Best Director,” “Best Actress,” “Best Actor,” “Best Supporting Actress” and “Best Supporting Actor.” This means 2023 has seen Cate Blanchett, Ana De Armas, Austin Butler, Colin Farrell and Brendan Fraser, amongst others, receive the prizes.
The second is that the gift bags are considered taxable income. This means that the more trips, procedures and vouchers the nominee accepts, the more they will have to pay on Tax Day. As a result of both this and their busy schedules and family commitments, nominees apparently often only make use of one of their goody-suitcase gifts.
In conclusion, while winning an Oscar remains the ultimate dream for most actors, being a nominee also has its own set of rewards… aka the coveted gift bag. Valued at a whopping $125,000 and filled with luxurious trips, cosmetic procedures, and other extravagant gifts, it’s truly one of a kind. At the end of the day, everybody wins one way or another.