Receiving that coveted gold Oscar trophy is one of the highest honors for those working in the film industry.
The A-list actors nominated for major awards like an Oscar are often swimming in cash as they’ve taken Hollywood by storm and appeared in some of the most watched movies of the year.
Margot Robbie was named as the second-highest paid actor of 2023, behind Adam Sandler, according to Forbes. Robbie made an estimated $59 million last year, according to the source. Most of this money came from the movie “Barbie,” a film presently up for Best Picture at the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony.
“Barbie” co-stars Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie both appeared on Forbes’ highest-paid actors list of 2023. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
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Ryan Gosling, another “Barbie” star, was also named one of the highest paid actors of 2023, bringing in an estimated $43 million, according to Forbes. He earned himself a controversial Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie though co-star Robbie and director Greta Gerwig were snubbed.
And while there are nominees, winners, and those snubbed, only Oscar winners walk away with that all-important trophy and a high potential for financial gain in the future. However, some go home with even more.
What do celebrities receive for winning or being nominated for an Oscar?
Sources have reported in the past that there is a “swag bag” given to some nominees by a marketing company called Distinctive Assets. This company has been giving out bags for over 20 years. The “swag bag” is not your average gift bag, though, and is made for A-List stars only.
In 2022, the value of the infamous bag was a whopping $137,000, according to CNBC.
That year, the bags included a $12,000 liposuction procedure, $25,000 worth of home renovations, a four-night stay at a luxury resort, a life coaching session and even a small plot of land in Scotland. So in 2022, not only did some leave the ceremony with an Oscar title, but also the title of “Lord” or “Lady of Glencoe” stashed away with their new piece of land.
Not every nominee receives the bag, but in 2022, nominees for Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Director, along with the three hosts of the ceremony, all received one, according to the outlet.
Certain Oscar nominees get to take home a six-figure “swag bag.” (Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, File)
In 2023, the infamous gift bag was valued at a whopping $126,000, according to Forbes. Last year’s swag included a $40,000 visit to a luxury Canadian estate called The Lifestyle and a three-night stay at an Italian lighthouse worth $9,000, according to the outlet.
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“Obviously, [the nominees] can afford to go where they want,” Distinctive Assets’ founder Lash Fary told Forbes. “It’s not about the fact that this is free. It’s about the fact that we’ve found a unique place that has built-in privacy for a celebrity. I mean, it’s a hillside lighthouse on an island off the coast of Italy – it’s very private.”
Oscar winners go home with a gold statue in one hand and a “swag bag” in the other. Not only that, but winning an Academy Award typically provides the potential for massive financial gains in future projects as well.
In 2016, Money Nation revealed that stars, on average, received a 60% pay increase after winning an Oscar. New A-List stars, who are early in their careers, see much more of a difference in salary increase after winning an Academy Award.
Do celebrities get paid for winning an Oscar?
Winners do not directly receive any extra cash after winning an Oscar, according to Good Housekeeping. While there is no check made out to Oscar winners or nominees, stars can look forward to career-boosting opportunities.
While stars like Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio have garnered nearly as much prestige as any actor can, newcomers can see their careers explode after an Oscar win, too.
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Matt Damon and Ben Affleck earned an Academy Award for “Good Will Hunting” in 1998. (Getty Images)
Take Lupita Nyong’o for instance, who won an Oscar in 2014 for her performance in “12 Years a Slave,” which was her first major role after joining the business, according to IMDb. After her win, Nyong’o was cast in “Star Wars,” Marvel’s “Black Panther” and numerous other high-profile and high-earning films.
One of the most well-known Oscar wins in history is that of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who saw their careers take flight after their picture “Good Will Hunting” won two Oscars. The pair both wrote and starred in the film. Damon and Affleck won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the 1997 film. Robin Williams also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. Sean Maguire.
Since then, Damon has earned three more nominations, and Affleck won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2013 for the movie “Argo.”