Every year the most glamorous night in Hollywood comes with an unofficial side event: the moment everyone realises the losing nominees are walking away with a consolation prize worth more than most houses.

Welcome to the 2026 ‘Everyone Wins’ nominee gift bag, which includes a wildly extravagant collection of luxury trips, beauty treatments, tech gadgets, and wellness products valued at an eye-watering $350,000.

The bags are produced by Los Angeles marketing company Distinctive Assets and are handed to the top acting and directing nominees attending the Academy Awards.

Importantly, they are not officially connected to the Oscars or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but that hasn’t stopped them becoming one of the most talked-about traditions of awards season.

This year’s lucky recipients include stars such as Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Emma Stone, Kate Hudson and Jacob Elordi — all of whom will receive the lavish packages whether they take home a golden statue or not.

And while the bags might be technically unofficial, they are anything but modest.

Inside are luxury holidays, high-end skincare, designer luggage, cryptocurrency security devices, cannabis products, cosmetic procedures, and even a fully customised prenuptial agreement from celebrity divorce lawyer Jim Sexton.

According to Distinctive Assets founder Lash Fary, the whole operation is about clever branding: ‘Of course none of the celebrities we gift need free stuff,’ he said. ‘It’s simple marketing.

‘Brands give the product away in exchange for the prestige of being associated with the most acclaimed actors in the world at that moment.’

They went on to explain that the gifts were ‘in no way based on need’. ‘We are acknowledging these amazing nominees while elevating and showcasing small businesses, minority-owned brands, female entrepreneurs and companies that give back at a time when everyone can use a little more fun and frivolity.’

One ⁠of those small businesses included in the bags is Rescue Spa, founded by Danuta Mieloch, who has said the marketing opportunities associated with being included outweigh the amount being spent on giving away its products.

Companies pay a fee to include their products, with Rescue Spa ​contributing $450 (£335) worth of treatments and goods this year per bag.

With this year marking the brand’s third inclusion, Mieloch says the exposure was more than worth the investment.

‘I feel like it positions us ‌in ⁠a better place. And it aligns with our philosophy. To be nominated requires diligence, a lot of work and excellence – and I feel like my products are aligned with that,’ she told Reuters.

The 2026 Oscars will take place this weekend, with the 98^th annual ceremony being hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien and held at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre.

The American horror film Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, leads the nominations charge – pulling in a record-breaking 16 nods.

The previous record was 14 – achieved by All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land.

After Sinners, the next most nominated movie was One Battle After Another with 13 nods, followed by Sentimental Value (9), Frankenstein (9), Marty Supreme (9) and Hamnet (8).

Those films were all nominated in the best picture category, as well as Bugonia, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, The Secret Agent and F1.

Meanwhile in the best actor category, Timothée Chalamet is nominated for Marty Supreme (his third Oscar nomination), Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another (his eighth Oscar nomination), Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent.

The best actress nominees are Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value for Emma Stone for Bugonia.

The best director nominees are Chloe Zhao (Hamnet), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Joacim Trier (Sentimental Value) and Ryan Coogler for Sinners.

While O’Brien hasn’t been able to reveal much about this year’s show, he said that audiences could expect ‘a lot of magic’.

‘There’ll be some explosions, CGI will be used. I see this second Oscars as an opportunity to take things up a notch,’ he added.

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