The Oscars are obsessed with the audience declines of the last ceremonies. Every year they try to innovate and find new ways to attract new viewers and so that those who were there do not turn off their television. They have tried ceremonies without presenters, musical numbers, threats of popular movie awards… The latest measure promises to be the most controversial of all. The Academy has decided to remove eight awards from the live ceremony and deliver them before the televised gala begins to speed up and give rhythm. Among these eight, two are chosen by Spaniards. Therefore, if Alberto Mielgo or Alberto Iglesias -nominated for Best Animated Short and Best Soundtrack respectively- win their Oscar next March 27, we will not see it live.
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The controversial change was advanced by the United States media and later confirmed by the president of the Academy, David Rubin, who tried to calm things down by explaining this decision. In a statement he explained the measure and pointed out that these eight awards will be announced before the gala, with the public already in the Dolby Theater, and that later, during the broadcast, a summary will be broadcast with the reactions of the winners. It is expected that what there will be is a video assembled and summarized of these eight awards.
Those affected are the nominees in the categories of best documentary, best editing, best makeup and hairdressing, best production design, best sound, best short, best animated short and best soundtrack. The reactions have not been long in coming, and from social networks the Academy is already being asked to rectify. Many even question the criteria for choosing the ‘suppressed’ categories, since among them is a fundamental one, that of Best Editing.
It is not the first time that the Hollywood Academy has considered something like this. In 2018 he also announced that he would take several technical awards live from the ceremony and deliver them in advertisements. The reaction was so negative that they had to rectify it. Even several of the directors nominated that year, such as Alfonso Cuarón, criticized the measure and forced a return to a gala where all the awards were given. The Goyas also tested a similar measure. It was in 2007 when the Academy wanted to present the three short film awards at a parallel dinner. The criticism was thunderous and finally the measure was not carried out.
Other awards, such as the Grammys and the Latin Grammys, do deliver most of the awards in a previous ceremony that is not broadcast on television, but in this case it is motivated by the huge number of awards that are delivered. There are almost a hundred categories —several for each style of music— compared to the 23 for the Oscars.
The Academy once again demonstrates with this measure its obsession with not losing an audience, something that had already come off when they announced that this year they will recognize the most popular film, after its members voted a few years ago against the creation of a category to bear that name. His intention is that the highest grossing films of the year are recognized and that this can attract younger audiences. At the moment, the shot has backfired on them, since according to various media leaks, the films with the most votes at the moment are the musical version of Cinderella from Amazon, starring Camila Cabello, and The Minamata Photographerwhich has caused the fans of Johnny Depp to vote for him to take this recognition.
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