The starry event that gathers all the Hollywood elites under one roof, The Oscars, is just a stone’s throw away. This year, the ceremony has broken new grounds with various changes never seen at the Academy before. For the first time, two non-English language films are contending for Best Picture, an Afro-Latino actor is on the Best Actor nominee list, and an Asian woman has been nominated for screenplay.

Indeed, those who live and breathe movies must be feeling all the feels about attending this groundbreaking ceremony. So, here is a breakdown of how to be a seat filler at the 96th Oscars despite not being affiliated with the nominated movies or one of their guests.

Get a backstage pass to the star-studded Oscars 2024 ceremony!

Seat Fillers are important to Award ceremonies as they make the events appear full. When TV cameras sweep the audience, seat fillers step in to prevent any empty seats from showing. However, there are just two routes to becoming an Oscars seat filler. One is having a relative working for the Academy. The other way can only work if one is on the payroll at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the firm handling the Oscar votes. However, one should still not daydream about befriending celebrities, as there are rules to play by.

As per a report from the A.V. Club, seat fillers are bound by strict nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their participation. The paperwork involves signing a document acknowledging that any misbehavior could result in their connection being terminated. There is also a strict dress code that all attendees must follow, and no one is allowed to interact with the stars either. But not every award function follows the same route for getting people to fill their empty seats.

There are many other prestigious award shows where seat fillers do not need to have connections with ceremony members.

How to become a seat filler at other award shows besides the Oscars?

The Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Emmys, and MTV Movie Awards have their own set of rules, different from the Oscars. There are several websites, including Seatfillersandmore, Gotham Casting, and Audiences Unlimited, where these ceremonies allow people to put in an application to become seat fillers at their events. These websites mandate the submission of resumes and photos, and some may also ask for Facebook and Instagram account URLs.

It was actually Neil Patrick Harris, the host of the 87th Annual Academy Awards, who first called attention to these Oscar seat fillers and interviewed two of them at the event. Following that, many of the movie buffs took to X, formerly Twitter, to ask how they too could fill someone’s seat. In case one still fails to secure a ticket to the 2024 Oscars, there are several other ways to witness the star-studded celebration of cinematic artistry.

Are you looking forward to filling someone’s seat at the 2024 Oscars? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!