What’s inside this year’s Oscars goodie bag and why is it so controversial?

With the Oscars ceremony just around the corner the news that we've all been waiting for has arrived, no not who's won but the contents of this year's goodie bag.

The Oscars goodie bag has become something of a tradition at the ceremony, with all the acting nominees and five contenders for best director receiving lavish gifts. Known as the "Everyone Wins" nominee gift bags, the gift is put together by PR company Distinctive Assets and the tradition doesn't have official ties with the awards show itself.

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The goodie bag has been the subject of much controversy over the years, with public backlash over the gifts leading to significant changes being made to it. Yahoo has pulled the data together to examine what the impact is and how the goodie bags have compared over the years.

Why is the Oscars goodie bag so controversial?

The Oscars goodie bag has courted controversy every since it was first introduced, and the issue that the public has with it stems to one thing: the cost.

With people struggling day-to-day with things like the cost of living crisis or essential needs, like paying for health insurance in America, seeing celebrities be gifted hugely expensive gift bags has drawn criticism towards the practice. Some would argue the tradition is tone deaf, for example, or feel that the flaunting of wealth is in poor taste.

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The goodie bag has often included holidays, beauty items and even plastic surgery. Over the years this has meant a fluctuation in value for the goodie bag.

In 1999 the goodie bag was worth $16k, which is $23k (£17k) adjusted with inflation, but as the years have gone on so has the value of the items inside the bag changed. After a brief dip in value in 2003, the goodie bag increased in price to $100k in 2006 ($199k, or £155k, with inflation), and in 2009 it reached a high of $126k (or $141k/£110).

With backlash abound, after this gift bag the value began to decrease once more, going to $90k (£70k) in 2010, then $75k (£58k) in 2011, $62k (£48k) in 2012, and finally $48k (£37k) in 2013. Granted, it's still not something to sniff at but does show a trend.

Things changed in 2014 though, with the value of the goodie bag going up to $85k (£66k) and then continuing to increase, and it reached a record high in 2016 when the gift had a value of $232k (£181k), or $294k (£229k) adjusted for inflation.

2016 was the year that the tradition was seen as going "too far", costing too much, and even led to the Academy of Motion Pictures to sue Distinctive Assets to say the gift bags were unauthorised. Since then the value of the Oscars goodie bag has decreased, ranging between $225k (£175k) and $100k (£78k) from 2017 to 2023. Which brings us to the 2024 ceremony.

What is inside the 2024 Oscars goodie bag and how much is it worth?

The items for the 2024 Oscars goodie bag have been revealed, with 70 companies suggesting items to be included and paying $4k (£3,140) for their product to be given to this year's nominees.

In 2024 it is celebrity pets that win out the most, as those with cats will be gifted complimentary bags of Canadian brand Smack, while v-dog is donating 10,000 canine meals to Peta’s Global Compassion Fund on behalf of each recipient.

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As has become the norm for the tradition, the goodie bag includes the possibility of winning a holiday. This year there are three holidays up for grabs: one at a Swiss chalet, another at a holistic wellness retreat near Hollywood, and a three night stay in Saint Barts.

Wellness items and electrical goods are also included in the goodie bag, including skincare products, liver pills, topical glutathione, and microneedling. There's also portable purse seats, blenders and an infrared grill in the goodie bags too, as well as food and drink items like tequila and gluten-free cashew cookies.

Distinctive Assets’ founder Lash Fary has confirmed that this year's goodie bag is worth around the same as 2023's $125k one. Fary said in a statement: “While this gift bag does, as always, have an impressive six-figure value that is neither our focus nor goal.

"Just as any A-list actor doesn’t ‘need’ millions of dollars to walk on to a film set, these gifts are given based on the invaluable stardust these nominees can bestow upon a brand."

The Oscars will be live-streamed on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 10th March, at 10.30pm.

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