Advertisement

WAIT, DID CNN JUST SPOIL THE OSCARS?

cnn best actor oscars 2014 leonardo dicaprio
cnn best actor oscars 2014 leonardo dicaprio

Did CNN spoil the Best Actor award? Credit: Twitter


Yes, Twitter is currently abuzz with the release of a CNN screencap that reveals the nameplate, that supposedly reveals a great big Oscar spoiler a full 20 days before the actual ceremony.

OSCAR STUNNER: Academy revokes Oscar nomination

The engraved nameplate reads:

ACADEMY AWARD
TO
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
'THE WOLF OF WALL STREET'

2013

If true, this would be a gaffe of, um, titanic proportions for the ultra-secretive Academy. And it would give everyone a freebie on their Oscar pools.

leonardo dicaprio in wolf of wall street
leonardo dicaprio in wolf of wall street

"Let's not celebrate yet, guys...false alarm!" Credit: Roadshow Films


But no, this is not a supreme spoiler. In fact, final voting Oscar hasn't even started yet. Balloting commences on Friday and closes on Feb. 25.

So while Leo might indeed be a frontrunner (don't tell Chiwetel Ejiofor), it doesn't mean he's already locked up the prize.

The complete list of the 2014 Oscar nominees

So how to explain the nameplate?

As of 2010, the Academy creates engraved nameplates for every Oscar nominee, with the winners being given their nameplates at the Governor's Ball on Oscar night.

CHECK IT OUT: Jonah Hill's low 'Wolf' pay day

Here's how a 2010 Oscar press release explains it: "In preparation for the night, the Academy will create 197 nameplates, one for each 2009 nominee in every category. The engraving will include the nominee’s name, category, film title and year. After the winners have been announced, the unused nameplates will be recycled."

So... will Leo's nameplate be "used" or "recycled"? We won't know for sure until the Oscars reveal all on March 2.

Bryan Enk writes for Yahoo Movies