Cannes 2025: new dress code sparks fashion controversy

The 2025 Cannes Film Festival introduced a stricter dress code, banning nudity and voluminous outfits with large trains on the red carpet, citing decency and logistical concerns. This move led to notable changes, such as jury member Halle Berry altering her planned attire. The updated guidelines have sparked debate about artistic expression and the festival's evolving fashion norms.

While award shows are meant to celebrate productions, they are also an entire production of their own. Every aspect is carefully thought out and managed so that these prestigious ceremonies can maintain a certain image and integrity in the public eye. There are, consequently, a number of rules that celebrities must follow, some of which start before the show even begins and stretch until the after-party.

Intrigued? Click through to learn more about the rules and regulations behind the scenes of famous award shows.

Stay in your lane

The red carpet is essentially divided into two lanes, according to ABC. One lane is for major A-listers, and the other is for, well, everyone else. The reason for the separation is to help photographers get the best shots of the biggest stars.

Dress code for men

The Academy Awards originally had a white-tie dress code in which men "must wear a tailcoat with a white bow tie and wingtip collar," but the show has since accepted "Hollywood black tie," which means men no longer need a tailcoat but must wear either a tie or bow tie.

Sustainable fashion is encouraged

To reduce the wasteful impact of the fashion industry, many shows like the SAG Awards and Oscars have asked attendees to make sustainable choices. The BAFTAs even shared a sustainable fashion guide to encourage stars to rewear old gowns, rent designer clothes, or choose vintage. One example was at the 2020 SAG Awards, where Jennifer Aniston wore a vintage Dior 1999 white satin dress.

Joaquin Phoenix was probably the most dedicated male celebrity when it came to this rule, and he wore the same Stella McCartney tuxedo to the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice Awards, the SAG Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Academy Awards during his 'Joker' sweep.

Very short break time

If they take too long on their break and the cameras start to roll again, stars won't be able to return to their seats. They have to wait until the next commercial break, and in the meantime their seat will be filled by someone else. In the case of stars winning awards while they're in the bathroom, at the 2014 Brit Awards Harry Styles was allowed back in to join One Direction as they won the Global Success Award. He arrived and apologized for having to “wee."

No empty seats

Seat fillers are not allowed to wear bright colors or anything that might outshine a celebrity, thus their outfits are often also preapproved. They're not allowed to speak to celebrities or take photos, or look at the camera if it's nearby.

Bringing snacks is forbidden

At the 2014 Academy Awards, host Ellen DeGeneres famously poked fun at the no-food policy and had pizza delivered to the show. Jimmy Kimmel did something similar when he provided little lunch boxes for the guests with chips, cookies, snack bars, and mints.

No selling or throwing out the statuette

The Oscars specifically say on their site: “Award winners shall not sell or otherwise dispose of the Oscar statuette, nor permit it to be sold or disposed of by operation of law, without first offering to sell it to the Academy for the sum of $1.00. This provision shall apply also to the heirs and assigns of Academy Award winners who may acquire a statuette by gift or bequest.”

No lip-syncing at the Grammys

The award show's veteran audio coordinator Michael Abbott outlawed lip-syncing, but shared "some performances are so demanding in terms of sound design that there has to be some of what we call track augmentation," which might explain Cardi B's 2019 performance of 'Money.'

Grammy performers have to cover up

In 2013, CBS, the network broadcasting the Grammy Awards, sent out an email requesting that “buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered,” and that “sheer see-through clothing” was avoided, as well as any brand names or logos.

Speeches shouldn't exceed 45 seconds

The rule was inspired first by actress Greer Garson who famously spoke for over five minutes in her 1943 acceptance speech, and again when Adrien Brody spoke for three minutes when he won Best Actor for his role in 'The Pianist,' during which time he acknowledged the time limit flashing and, when the music started playing, asked the producer to "cut it out."

Straight from speech to speed questions

Immediately after their acceptance speech and with hardly any time to process the achievement, stars have to go to a rapid-fire Q&A with the press asking canned questions like how it feels to win and where they'll keep the trophy.

Must pay taxes on gift bags

The IRS has deemed them taxable because they're not actually “gifts” but rather intended to influence celebrities to use certain products and services. As such, the value of the gifts, which depends on whether they take advantage of all the vacations and services, is counted as income on the recipients' taxes.

Laughter is mandated

Things inevitably go wrong during the broadcast because stars are, after all, human. But humor is the Academy's preferred way to brush these blunders off, and that's why they reportedly have comedy writers backstage churning out jokes to help the hosts in the most awkward situations. Jimmy Kimmel's joke after the 'La La Land'/'Moonlight' debacle was an example, according to Ossa.

After-party precision

Bishop added that stars who arrive late have to go to the back of the line and only get into the party once everyone else is in so as not to mess up the precise schedule. On the rare chance that a celebrity doesn't adhere to the rules, they likely won't be invited again.

Sources: (Nicki Swift) (Oscars.org) (USA Today) (OSSA) (Your Tango) (CNBC)