Oscars plans emphasis on entertainment over awards
Faced with an existential crisis of dwindling ratings and a lack of blockbuster nominees, the motion picture academy is making a major change to this year’s Oscars: Not every award will be presented live during the telecast.
While the starriest of the 23 categories will be given out live on air, five below-the-line awards and the three short film awards will be handed out before the telecast begins, with clips of the presentations and acceptance speeches then edited into the broadcast. The affected categories are film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design and sound as well as documentary short subject, animated short and live-action short.
While such a move has long been contemplated, shifting awards out of the hallowed Oscar ceremony is not a step the academy’s leadership takes lightly — or that all of the group’s members are likely to welcome. The academy prizes its traditions, and the members cherish their opportunity to have their craft and artistry celebrated in front of a global audience.
In 2018, a plan to give out four awards — cinematography, editing, live-action short and makeup and hairstyling — during commercial breaks in that year’s telecast sparked bitter protests from members who felt it would represent a slight to some of film’s most vital crafts. Just days before the ceremony, faced with a vocal protest from a group of prominent cinematographers and filmmakers, the academy reversed the decision.
In a letter last Tuesday to the group’s roughly 10,000 members, academy President David Rubin seemed to acknowledge the changes were spurred by the need to boost ratings, which hit an all-time low with the COVID pandemic-impacted 2021 show.
“After carefully listening to feedback and suggestions from our film community, our network partner, and all those who love the Oscars, it was evident we needed to make some decisions about the broadcast that are in the best interest of the future of our show and our organization,” Rubin wrote. “We must prioritize the television audience to increase viewer engagement and keep the show vital, kinetic, and relevant. This has been an important focus of discussion for quite some time.”
Indeed, two years into a pandemic that has accelerated a shift away from big-screen moviegoing, the academy’s leaders are faced with the need to take unprecedented steps to safeguard the future of its all-important Oscars show. With this year’s show, set for March 27, the academy is desperate to convey the message to audiences that not only the awards but movies themselves still matter.
In a further bid to inject more populist appeal into this year’s show, which will be hosted by Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes, last week the academy announced that for the first time, fans will be able to vote on their favorite movie of 2021 via Twitter.