Oscars 2018: Academy Award nominees to receive £72,500 gift bags

Oscar nominees including Gary Oldman, Meryl Streep and Margot Robbie were set to receive gift bags containing vouchers for a 12-night trip to Tanzania and a trip to Hawaii.

Susan Sarandon at pre-Oscar Luxury Lounge where contenders, A-Listers and industry influencers are given posh perks (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images for GBK Productions )

Beauty products and holistic pet food are among the other goodies received by some of Hollywood’s biggest names as they took to the red carpet overnight for the entertainment industry’s biggest event of the year.

The Everyone Wins swag bag will be given to all nominees in the best actor and actress categories.

Those in the running for best supporting actor and actress, as well as best director nominees, also receive the handouts.

Included in the lavish collection will be diverse items including personal training sessions, make-up, a trip to Greece, candles, an edible jewellery box, a cook book, under-arm sweat patches, weight loss supplements and a diamond necklace.

The gifts, worth more than US$100,000 (£72,500) are compiled and distributed by company Distinctive Assets, which also hands out gifts at the Grammys.

They are not formally affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and are gifted to the nominees ahead of the ceremony.

Lash Fary, founder of Distinctive Assets, said: “A great gift has nothing to do with the retail value. For years we have been breaking one of the cardinal rules of gift giving by disclosing the price tag.

“Instead we are trying to start a new tradition by simply celebrating the fun and festive nature of this legendary gift bag.

“At the end of the day, the movie industry is about allowing viewers to escape reality and enter a fantasy world.

“We hope we also do that in some small way for these hard-working nominees who have given us this year’s best performances – helping them relax, indulge and even give back after one of the most intensely hectic weeks of their lives.”

Trade minister Baroness Fairhead has meanwhile said film and television exports from the UK are going from “strength to strength”.

British films such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Darkest Hour and Dunkirk were vying for best picture at this year’s Oscars.

The winners were due to be announced in the early hours of this morning. The industry is worth £5.5 billion, with the US making up 47 per cent of the market for British film exports, according to the Department for International Trade.

Baroness Fairhead, who is the former chairwoman of the BBC Trust, said: “UK film and TV exports continue to go from strength to strength because we consistently produce and nurture top class creative talent.”