‘Everyone Wins’: What’s in this year’s Oscars goodie bags?

The Oscar are here. The Academy Awards, Hollywood’s most-awaited and coveted prizes, have been announced. But did you know that the Oscar nominees can take home more than just the gold statuettes?

Although not all contenders will win at the 96th Academy Awards, they will all get an “Everyone Wins” gift bag. This Oscars goodie bag has sort of become a tradition at the Academy Awards.

What’s in these goodie bags? Why are they controversial? We explain.

What is in the Oscar goodie bags?

The ‘Everyone Wins’ gift bags are put together by PR company Distinctive Assets, which is not affiliated with the Academy Awards.

As per The Guardian, the company gives the goodie bags to the ceremony’s host, along with 25 Oscar nominees in the acting and directing categories.

These swag packages consist of luxurious items, vacations, cosmetics and much more. Last year’s Oscar nominees got vouchers for a $12,000 (around Rs 9,92,506) arm liposuction procedure and a three-night stay at a luxury Canadian property valued at $40,000 (Rs 33,08,356) among other items, Deseret News reported at the time.

The goodie bags were so enormous that Oscars contenders were given two suitcases to carry the items. Each package was worth about $125,000 (~ Rs 10,33,8612), according to Deseret News.

As per Fox Business, Distinctive Assets “has been putting together items for stars for decades.”

What’s in 2024 Oscars goodie bags?

The contents of the Oscars goodie bags have been disclosed. As per Yahoo News, 70 companies are donating gifts and have paid around $4,000 (approximately Rs 3,30,835) fee for giving their product to this year’s nominees.

Celebrity pets will probably win the most this year. Those who have cats will get complimentary bags from the Canadian brand Smack, while, for dogs, plant-based company v-dog has donated 10,000 canine meals to Peta’s Global Compassion Fund, reported The Guardian.

The giveaway also includes three holidays: one in a Swiss chalet worth $50,000 (approximately Rs 41 lakh), a holistic wellness retreat near Hollywood and a three-night stay at Saint-Barth Paradise in the Caribbean.

The gift bag is dominated by health and grooming products, such as various skincare products, liver pills, topical glutathione and microneedling, as per the British newspaper.

Oscars nominees will also take back portable purse seats, blenders and an infrared grill, along with food and drink items such as tequila, gin, sugar-free cherry gummies and gluten-free cashew cookies.

The ‘Everyone Wins’ nominee gift bags also consists of home project management, a clinical sleep consultation, gourmet popcorn, a ‘red light sleep therapy device’, a ‘performance inactivewear’ gift set, a luxury shoe bag, and sustainable, artisan backpacks and handbags, reported Deseret News.

The stars will also get several kitchen items including a 45-bottle wine fridge from THOR Kitchen worth $1,800 (roughly Rs 1.4 lakh), a $1,250 (approximately Rs 1 lakh) Schwank portable grill, and an $80 (over Rs 6,000) BlendQuik portable blender, according to Business Insider.

Dr Carl Christman, who is described as a “mentalist to the stars”, is offering a private showing, as per The Guardian.

According to Reuters, this year’s gift bag costs a whopping over $170,000 (~ Rs 1,40,60,513).

Distinctive Assets’ founder Lash Fary said in a statement: “While this gift bag does, as always, have an impressive six-figure value that is neither our focus nor goal.

“Just as any A-list actor doesn’t ‘need’ millions of dollars to walk on to a film set, these gifts are given based on the invaluable stardust these nominees can bestow upon a brand.”

He said he hoped this year’s haul would put a focus on “small businesses, minority-owned brands, female entrepreneurs and companies who give back”, according to The Guardian.

Why Oscars gift bag is controversial

These splashy parcels have come under scrutiny since they were first launched. The hefty cost of the Oscars gift bags has raised eyebrows, especially when people in the United States are struggling with basic needs amid the cost of living crisis.

According to a Yahoo News report, some would say the tradition of these goodies is “tone-deaf”.

The goodie bag cost $16,000 (approximately Rs 1.3 crore in today’s value) in 1999. After a brief plunge in the value of the items in 2003, the package’s worth rose to $1,00,000 (about Rs 82 lakh in today’s value) in 2006.

In 2009, it further jumped to $1,26,000 (roughly Rs 1 crore today). After severe backlash over the cost of these gift bags, their value started to fall – from $90,000 (about Rs 74 lakh in today’s value) in 2010 to $48,000 (approximately Rs 39 lakh as per current value) in 2013, the report added.

The prices again went up in 2014, with the value of items at $85,000 (approximately Rs 70 lakh). It reached a record high in 2016 as the gift bag cost $2,32,000 (about Rs 1.9 crore), the report added.

The Academy of Motion Pictures sued Distinctive Assets the same year alleging trademark infringement. The lawsuit confirmed that these gift bags have no official ties to the Oscars.
Since then, the value of these bags has gone down, ranging from between $2,25,000 (about Rs 1.8 crore) in 2017 to $1,00,000 (roughly Rs 82 lakh) in 2023, Yahoo News reported.

With inputs from agencies