Of course, we all know that getting an Academy Award is a huge accolade and can boost the careers of even the most seasoned actors but one thing that you may not know about is the goodie bag that those nominated in the actors and directors categories receive.
Now, before reading this, ask yourself what you would expect from a goodie bag at a high-end event. I know what I was thinking – perhaps some Gucci vouchers, a trip to a fancy resort and maybe some exclusive pressings of the films that have been nominated at the ceremony.
Wrong. So wrong. What the nominees receive is actually not anything I could have pictured.
What’s inside the gift bag at the Oscars?
So, according to CNBC Make It, in 2023, LA-based marketing company Distinctive Assets (I’ll say) provided the gift bag for the 21st year in a row.
The bag is called “Everybody Wins” and it isn’t directly affiliated with the Academy Awards.
The 2023 edition of the bag was valued at around $123,000 and included more than 60 gifts.
Now, you might be wondering how they fit 60 gifts into one bag, or you might be a bit more switched on than me and realise that these are in fact delivered ahead of time. Not only that but they’re often provided in two suitcases so that they can easily be transported home after the ceremony.
The biggest offering this year was a $40,000 three-night stay at luxury remote property The Lifestyle in Ottawa, Canada.
At this estate, nominees benefit from a fully-stocked fridge filled with gourmet foods, a loan of a 1965 Shelby AC Cobra Roadster as well as a 2023 McLaren Artura.
Nominees also had the opportunity to enjoy a $9,000 three-night stay at the Faro Punta Imperatore Lighthouse in Italy with up to seven friends.
So, not a quick trip to Center Parcs, then.
Interestingly, and slightly insultingly, women are offered a $12,000 arm liposuction procedure from Dr. Thomas Su which promises to give women “an instant lean and toned look with smooth shapes and perfectly defined contours”. Hmm.
Other costly cosmetic procedures available are a private hair restoration consultation worth $7,000, $10,000 of procedures from Dr. Konstantin Vasyukevich which includes chemical peels, laser skin resurfacing and Botox.
Do the Oscar nominees use everything in their gift bags?
According to CNBC Make It, the IRS views the value of gift bags as taxable income which means that the more trips and procedures a nominee accepts, the more they’ll need to pay on Tax Day.
Lash Fary, the founder of Distinctive Assets, told CNBC Make It that in the 21 years that Fary has been gifting luxury trips to nominees, nobody has ever taken all of them.
He said, “If they redeem one trip, that’s all they really have time to do with their film schedules, family, all that kind of stuff” adding, “in my experience it’s very unlikely that they would take two trips.”
I, personally, would love the opportunity to turn my nose up at luxury holidays.