For the 93rd year in a row, the Oscars will be presenting awards to various films. From Best Hair and Makeup to Best Animated Feature, there are seemingly endless categories of ways a movie can win an award. However, this year adds an unpredictable, exciting new category to the mix: the Fan-Favorite. Though it will not receive a traditional award like the other categories, the Fan-Favorite means that for the first time in the history of the Oscars, the Academy will not be the sole decider of who wins which award. Instead, there will be a way for fans to submit their votes for their favorite movies via social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. The idea was created after recent years’ shows failed to produce the desired ratings and received heavy criticism from the general public.
It seems like a harmless enough implementation. Not only do devoted fans get to express their love for their favorite movie of the year when voting, but they also get to have their voices heard by the elite Academy in charge of making the decisions. Additionally, those who vote will automatically be entered in to win exclusive prizes, such as free movie tickets for a year, rare items from an Academy store and even an all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles. On the other side of this argument, there are the benefits the Academy would receive from this. More people voting means more people tuning in to watch the ceremony, which in turn would cause higher ratings and viewership rates. To summarize, this affair appears to be a win-win situation for all sides involved. However, even with this new addition, people still appear to be divided on whether or not it will improve the Oscars.
There are some people who believe that the popular vote might not be the best idea. Many think that by going off the popular vote alone, the films with the highest quality could possibly be trampled by those with massive followings, even if the latter films may not be better. Additionally, some expressed concern about how easy it could be for voters to cheat by creating multiple accounts and voting excessive amounts of times. There are also worries that such a “popularity contest” could turn people against each other, sour what was meant to be a fun, shared experience for movie lovers across America and dampen the spirit of the Oscars.
Whatever one’s personal stance on the issue may be, one thing is certain: Because the Academy is giving viewers a chance to express themselves directly for the first time, this upcoming Oscars Ceremony is sure to be an exciting, fascinating night.