There’s been a shakeup in Hollywood on the eve of it’s biggest night -- the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences decided to rescind Greg P. Russell’s nomination for best sound mixing.
The nomination for his work on the film, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi was rescinded because Russell allegedly violated strict Academy rules relating to “telephone lobbying” which states that, “contacting Academy members by telephone to promote a film or achievement is expressly forbidden, even if such contact is in the guise of checking to make sure a screener or other mailing was received.”
Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President of the Academy, mentioned in a statement that the honory organization takes "very seriously the Oscars voting process."
The other sound mixers who worked on the film are still eligible for the Oscar including Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Mac Ruth.
This is not the first time the Academy rescinded a nomination. In 2013, the film Alone Yet Alone was nominated for Best Original Song but was later rescinded, also for lobbying.
Read the full statement from the Academy below:
Upon recommendation by the Sound Branch Executive Committee, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted Thursday (2/23) to rescind the Sound Mixing nomination for Greg P. Russell from “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” for violation of Academy campaign regulations. The decision was prompted by the discovery that Russell had called his fellow members of the Sound Branch during the nominations phase to make them aware of his work on the film, in direct violation of a campaign regulation that prohibits telephone lobbying. An additional nominee for “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” will not be named in his place. The remaining Sound Mixing nominees for the film are Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Mac Ruth.
“The Board of Governors’ decision to rescind Mr. Russell’s nomination was made after careful consideration,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “The Academy takes very seriously the Oscars voting process and anything – no matter how well-intentioned – that may undermine the integrity of that process.”
The Board determined that Russell’s actions violated a campaign regulation that unequivocally prohibits telephone lobbying. It states that “contacting Academy members by telephone to promote a film or achievement is expressly forbidden, even if such contact is in the guise of checking to make sure a screener or other mailing was received.”