It's one of the most coveted seats in the world for Oscar fans: the chance to be a fly on the wall at the Academy Awards as the stars stroll down the Red Carpet on the big night.
2014 Oscar Red Carpet fan bleachers. Photo by James A. Molnar.
It's one of the most coveted seats in the world for Oscar fans: the chance to be a fly on the wall at the Academy Awards as the stars stroll down the Red Carpet on the big night.
Trending this week on TheGoldKnight.com is an article from 2012 where we describe details on how to enter a global online lottery for a chance to sit those bleacher seats along the most famous Red Carpet in the world.
Here's something to be thankful for: Another Bleacher Seats contest! People Magazine is giving its readers (and those with a special link) a chance at Oscars Bleacher Seats. The cool thing about this contest is three grand prize winner receive airfare and hotel accommodations!
UPDATE (11/6/15): The 2016 lottery has officially launched! The only bad news is in the fine print: The Academy is only giving away 20 100 seats with this contest. With approximately 700 seats available that could mean more opportunities in the future — we hope.
The Academy has updated its website with a teaser for the 2016 bleacher seats lottery, saying it is "not open yet" and to check back. While the timeline is later than last year, November and December have been entry periods in the recent years. Stay tuned to TheGoldKnight.com for the latest.
UPDATE (10/9/14): Enter to win bleacher seat tickets on the Academy's newly launched website until Nov. 9.
If you've won bleacher seat tickets, let us know and we'll follow you and share your posts on the big day!
There is some good news and some bad news.
The Bad News
Two years ago, the Academy discontinued its global online lottery system that determined annual bleacher seat fans. The system was put in place when the Oscars moved to its permanent home at the then-Kodak Theatre for the 74th Academy Awards in 2004. Previously, fans would camp out on city sidewalks in hopes to get a coveted seat. After the change, fans were required to fill out a request form early in the year and hope their application was selected. This lottery process was moved up to September in 2004, going entirely online. 2011 was its final year.
Oscars.org 2006 archive photo.
For the 2012 contest, fans could sign up via email during a two-month period to become an "Oscar Insider" for a chance to be entered.For the 86th Academy Awards this year, the Academy decided to turn to social media to help find fans to fill its bleacher seats via "Fan Appreciation Week" in December of 2013. The nonprofit organization used social media to determine to whom it would give tickets, seeking out the biggest fans.
"This year we're going to give away Fan Experience tickets in a new way designed to reward our biggest and most active year-round Oscars fans, " said the email sent to fans Nov. 8, 2013.
The Good News
The lottery may be gone, but there is still hope for Oscar fans.
The Gold Knight will confirm details when we get them, but fans should expect something similar to last year with "Fan Appreciation Week, " which kicked off in early December.
Until then, make sure to be actively engaged with the Academy on social media by commenting, liking and sharing its posts.
Good luck and let us know if you see anything.
The 87th Academy Awards, for outstanding film achievements of 2014, will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries worldwide.
