Only One Person Has Won a Write-In Oscar

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By Lindsey Clouse

Published Nov 29, 2023

The surprise win involved a manipulative studio and a major snub for a star actress.

Custom Image by Jefferson Chacon

The Academy Awards banned write-in voting for the majority of its 95-year history, but there was a brief period from 1935 to 1936 when write-in votes were allowed.
Bette Davis's snub in 1935 for her role in Of Human Bondage led to a rule change that allowed write-in votes for the first time in Academy Award history.
Cinematographer Hal Mohr won an Oscar for A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1936 through write-in votes, but the backlash from industry insiders led to the banning of write-in voting again in 1937.