Oscar-Winner Acting Tournament

What’s the Best Acting Performance of the 21st Century to Win an Oscar?

I know, I know, there are far more great performances that have not won an Oscar. Let’s focus on those actual winners for the purpose of this project, this tournament. And that’s were we say a huge “Bravo” to Daniel Smith-Rowsey who came up with this terrific idea. 64 acting gold statuettes have been handed out in the last 16 years (2000-2015). Some you agreed with, some you shook your head at, some were real surprises, some were always going to win from the get-go.

Just for fun, let’s embark on the first, and probably only, Oscar-Winner Acting Tournament of the 21st Century. Acting Oscar of course refers to an Academy Award that was won in one of the four categories for acting performance (and how we’re dividing our tournament up): Actor in a Leading Role; Actress in a Leading Role; Actor in a Supporting Role; Actress in a Supporting Role.

So, how will this work?

It works in rounds, just like the NCAA March Madness tournament, or Wimbledon if you follow tennis. A knock-out tournament. Only instead of two teams competing against each other, the results here are decided through all your voting for one winner of each “match-up”.

For example, Julia Roberts (2000) versus Halle Berry (2001), given seeding is chronological, you interpret your own vote accordingly – who deserved the Oscar more, or the better performance, however you would vote as an Academy member imagine (and who knows, the eventual vote totals may be no more warped than what happens every year at the Oscars). Roberts or Berry wins their match-up in Round One by highest number of votes, and one of them progresses to challenge the winner of the Nicole Kidman / Charlize Theron match-up. You have 32 votes to cast in Round One (8 per acting category), then 16 votes for Round Two (4 per acting category), and so on and so forth.

Okay, what’s the schedule?

Two weeks, from Sunday December 4th until Friday December 16th. Each voting window will be 24 hours. You vote on the site. All updates, results of votes will be published accordingly. Simple as that.

Dec 04 – Round One: Actor in a Supporting Role (8 votes)
Dec 05 – Round One: Actress in a Supporting Role (8 votes)
Dec 06 – Round One: Actor in a Leading Role (8 votes)
Dec 07 – Round One: Actress in a Leading Role (8 votes)
Dec 08 – Round Two: Actor in a Supporting Role (4 votes)
Dec 09 – Round Two: Actress in a Supporting Role (4 votes)
Dec 10 – Round Two: Actor in a Leading Role (4 votes)
Dec 11 – Round Two: Actress in a Leading Role (4 votes)
Dec 12 – Round Three: Actor in a Supporting Role / Actress in a Supporting Role (4 votes)
Dec 13 – Round Three: Actor in a Leading Role / Actress in a Leading Role (4 votes)
Dec 14 – Final Category Round: Actor / Actress in a Supporting / Leading Role (4 votes) – “Best” Oscar-Winning Performance of the Century by Category
Dec 15 – Final Gender Round: Actor / Actress in a Supporting / Leading Role (2 votes) – “Best” Oscar-Winning Actor and Actress of the Century
Dec 16 – Final Overall Round: Actor / Actress in a Supporting / Leading Role (1 vote) – “Best” Oscar-Winning Performance of the 21st Century Outright

Opening post come December 3rd will act as the mother ship, one page which will be linked back to for tournament draw and results as and when it changes. I strongly encourage discussion of choices, opinions, banter, whatever, in the comments sections. Tell your family, your friends, your enemies. The more votes the better!

Now, onto the publicity. Watch this space…