While the 2025 Oscars were being held in Hollywood, West Ham were putting their own spin on the award here in east London.
There will be few celebrations and awards handed out at West Ham after the club’s dismal season.
Graham Potter will be able to stake a claim for best comeback if he can somehow lead West Ham to a top half finish by keeping up the winning theme of the last two games.
The Hammers have beaten Arsenal and Leicester ahead of games against Newcastle and Everton next week.
Win those and Potter will very much be a leading man for West Ham.
As always with football, though, it is the players who are the main protagonists.
Too many of West Ham’s have been off form for too long.
Hammers bring Hollywood to east London
But things have improved markedly under Potter of late.
Rush Green had become an happy place under Julen Lopetegui.
The Spaniard has been accused of over-working his player and giving them little time off.
Former Hammer Don Hutchison revealed West Ham’s training ground was dead under Lopetegui.
West Ham’s owners have reportedly been hugely impressed by the uplift in morale under Potter.
It says a lot about the improved atmosphere around the team that the club could have a bit of fun with the players this week.
West Ham held their own Oscars and here’s who won what from Konstantinos Mavropanos to Danny Ings.
West Ham held their own Oscars and here’s who won
Categories in the real Oscars include best, best director, best actor, best supporting actor and best international feature among others.
West Ham’s media team put their own take on the Oscar categories, though.
And they put each one to a vote between teammates.
First up was Funniest Player at West Ham.
Edson Alvarez and Aaron Wan-Bissaka gave their vote for Funniest Player to Jean-Clair Todibo.
Mavropanos voted for Emerson, Cyrsencio Summerville nominated Wan-Bissaka and Mohammed Kudus named Alvarez.
From Mavropanos to Ings, West Ham’s Oscar stars
But seven of the first team squad including captain Jarrod Bowen, Max Kilman, Vladimir Coufal and James Ward-Prowse chose struggling striker Ings as West Ham’s funniest player.
“Funniest!?” Ings said with a grin as he accepted the plastic Oscar trophy.
“Thank you to everyone who voted for me.”
Now this may be a bit of fun but it shows what a good character and professional Ings is that he is still able to be a positive character on the training ground despite his lack of game time.
Although some don’t find it funny that is is on £125k per week and has barely played let alone scored since arriving at the club.
The next category was Biggest Diva.
Ings, Aaron Cresswell, Todibo, Summerville and Kilman all received nominations.
Surprisingly, it was the quiet and shy £40m man Kilman who won the award.
Not that he was overly impressed, using his acceptance speech to try and find out which of his Hammers teammates had nominated him.
Hammers vote for their MVP
When Best Hair votes were cast, Coufal gave the nomination of the day with Ings – who has famously and unashamedly had hair transplant surgery since joining West Ham.
Cresswell, Todibo, Mavropanos, Summerville and Alvarez were among the nominees
It was veteran Cresswell, whose hairline has not retreated a single inch since he signed for the club 10 years ago, who won that particular honour.
West Ham’s Best Dressed Oscar was taken a lot more seriously than other categories.
Summerville, Todibo, Wan-Bissaka, Alphonse Areola, Mavropanos and Cresswell were all in the vote.
But Cresswell and Kilman said it should go to ‘Dinos’ Mavropanos ‘by a mile’.
The big Greek defender has been subjected to much criticism – and some jeering against Leicester.
So it was nice to see him with a smile on his face as he accepted his award saying: “Thank you very much, I’ll take that!”
Most Value Player Oscar saw some interesting nominations.
Kudus named Kilman as his.
Ward-Prowse had a wasted vote by naming close pal Ings.
Bowen and Summerville both said Wan-Bissaka – many fans’ favourite for Hammer of the Year.
But Summerville added Bowen to his and was joined by half the squad in voting for the skipper including Wan-Bissaka, Ollie Scarles and Kilman.
Bowen also won the final Oscar – Admin’s Favourite – joint with Kudus.
And the star boy aimed a little dig at fans in his homeland, saying: “Most Ghanaians think I’m the one controlling the page!”
It is just nice to see smiles back on faces at Rush Green.
Let’s hope this is the start of a new era and the Hammers are fighting for real trophies again next season.
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