Oscars is all set to include a new ‘fan favorite’ prize for the year’s most popular film as voted for by Twitter users.
The awards night which is set to be telecast on March 27 comes after several crowd-pleasing blockbusters including “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “No Time To Die” failed to earn Oscar nominations in major categories, including best picture.
Their omission raised fears that many movie fans will skip the show. But any film released in 2021 can be voted for in the new category using the Twitter hashtag #OscarsFanFavorite or via the Academy’s website, raising the chances of a blockbuster being honored on the night.
Read more: Oscars 2022 to have a host for the first time since 2018
Television ratings for the Oscars have dramatically declined in recent years. Last year´s edition, which honored mainly smaller, arthouse movies such as best picture winner “Nomadland,” was watched by just over 10 million viewers — a 56 percent decline from 2020, which was already a record low.
As Oscars voters have increasingly drifted away from more mainstream fare, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has toyed with various reforms to boost the ceremony´s popularity.
