{"id":44933,"date":"2025-03-02T19:40:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T00:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/entertainment\/oscars-2025-live-updates-latest-from-awards-ceremony-as-conan-obrien-hosts\/02\/03\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-03-02T19:40:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T00:40:08","slug":"oscars-2025-live-updates-latest-from-awards-ceremony-as-conan-obrien-hosts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/entertainment\/oscars-2025-live-updates-latest-from-awards-ceremony-as-conan-obrien-hosts\/02\/03\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Oscars 2025 Live Updates: Latest From Awards Ceremony as Conan O’Brien Hosts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

When the final envelope is opened Sunday evening, the movie awarded the Oscar for best picture may not be the film that the most voters chose as best picture.<\/p>\n

Let us explain.<\/p>\n

\n

Uniquely among the categories, the night\u2019s top prize is selected via ranked choice. (Other contests decided by ranked-choice methods such as an instant runoff include certain federal elections in Maine and New York City\u2019s mayoral race.)<\/p>\n

For every other Oscar category, each voter selects one nominee, and the nominee that appears on the most ballots wins.<\/p>\n

But for best picture, voters rank up to all 10 nominees. The ultimate winner is not necessarily the one that initially appears in the No. 1 spot the most. In fact, it may well prove more important which movie is most often ranked second<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Oscars\u2019 instant-runoff system<\/a>, instituted for best picture in 2010, requires a movie to receive more than 50 percent of the No. 1 spots on ballots to win. If no movie qualifies, then the movie with the fewest No. 1 votes is eliminated; ballots with that movie in their No. 1 slot now have their No. 2 movie counted as their top choice. The eliminations continue until one movie has more than 50 percent.<\/p>\n

Imagine a ballot with \u201cThe Substance\u201d ranked No. 1, \u201cAnora\u201d No. 2 and \u201cThe Brutalist\u201d No. 3. If \u201cThe Substance\u201d is eliminated before \u201cAnora\u201d and \u201cThe Brutalist,\u201d as expected, then that ballot would effectively count as a vote for \u201cAnora\u201d \u2014 and would continue to, unless \u201cAnora\u201d is eliminated before \u201cThe Brutalist,\u201d in which case the ballot would count for \u201cThe Brutalist.\u201d<\/p>\n

This system means that, in some years, it could pay more to be the overwhelming favorite for the No. 2 slot than it is to achieve a small plurality of No. 1 slots. (The Academy does not make figures available after the fact.)<\/p>\n

Imagine a full contest. The top two movies to appear on voters\u2019 No. 1 slots are \u201cMovie A\u201d and \u201cMovie B\u201d \u2014 films that have garnered passionate fans along with some steadfast detractors who ranked them near the bottom. \u201cMovie A\u201d and \u201cMovie B\u201d are the top pick on 29 percent and 27 percent of ballots \u2014 not nearly enough for either to declare victory instantly. The eliminations begin.<\/p>\n

After seven rounds, a three-way race has emerged among \u201cMovie A\u201d and \u201cMovie B\u201d and a third film, \u201cMovie C,\u201d which was fewer voters\u2019 absolute favorite but was well-regarded by virtually everyone \u2014 meaning almost nobody ranked it near the bottom.<\/p>\n

While \u201cMovie A\u201d and \u201cMovie B\u201d started out with the most first-place votes, now \u201cMovie A\u201d has the most, followed by \u201cMovie C.\u201d \u201cMovie B\u201d is eliminated. On 75 percent of the ballots that had \u201cMovie B\u201d at the top, \u201cMovie C\u201d \u2014 the less polarizing, broadly liked movie \u2014 is ranked higher than \u201cMovie A.\u201d The fresh influx of votes for \u201cMovie C\u201d causes \u201cMovie C,\u201d the slow-and-steady contender, to defeat \u201cMovie A,\u201d even though both \u201cMovie A\u201d and, for that matter, \u201cMovie B\u201d began the process with the most first-place votes.<\/p>\n

The winner of the Oscar for best picture in this case is \u201cMovie C.\u201d<\/p>\n

It may not happen this way, of course. It could be that \u201cMovie A\u201d (perhaps a real movie with fervent fans and more than a few skeptics, like \u201cAnora\u201d) or \u201cMovie B\u201d (\u201cThe Brutalist,\u201d say) could ride its polarizing status and plethora of No. 1 slots to victory. But if not, look for a movie in the manner of \u201cMovie C\u201d (maybe a widely palatable movie that begins with C, like \u201cConclave\u201d) to emerge as a surprise victor.<\/p>\n

Which, come to think of it, is the plot of \u201cConclave.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When the final envelope is opened Sunday evening, the movie awarded the Oscar for best picture may not be the film that