Within recent years, the annual film awards season has been plagued with online criticisms and complaints about the apparent lack of blockbuster films nominated in ceremonies’ top categories. It looks like the Golden Globes’ newest category, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, is the latest attempt to address these concerns. Unfortunately, this new addition is an unnecessary capitalist venture that comes a few years too late.
According to Variety, the category will include films that have “grossed at least $150 million during release, $100 million of which must have come from domestic box office” as well as “streaming films with commensurate viewership.”
Ever since the emergence of streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu — which have dominated the television landscape since the 2010s — award shows have been declining in viewership. Streaming platforms have brought audiences a multitude of available shows that can captivate audiences at their leisure. Coupled with award shows’ struggles to engage with younger audiences and appeal to the general public, it can be easy to see where the decline in viewership originates.
Failed attempts to address these concerns have occurred in the last five years, most notably by the Academy Awards. In 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences suggested the inclusion of a new category to recognize “outstanding achievement in popular film.” As of September 2023, the category has been in postponement since 2020.
Just last year, the Academy Awards partnered with Twitter to host two contests for an “Oscars Fan Favorite” and “Oscars Cheer Moment.” Both contests were rightfully criticized as a failed attempt to convey the ceremony’s advertised “Movie Lovers Unite” campaign. It is fitting how the contest was seemingly turned on its head because of trolling by fans of Camila Cabello’s “Cinderella” (2021) and the alleged bot farming behind the contest's winners.
It seems like the Golden Globes, which are conducted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are failing to recognize the negative reception received from recognizing commercial accomplishments. Its solution to the overall decline in viewership feels completely irrelevant.
I would have been a bit more receptive to the new Golden Globes category if it had been introduced back in January 2023, a year after its infamous boycott fueled by a lack of diversity among its members. The 2023 ceremony saw a public return of the event after major studios such as Netflix and NBC refused to broadcast the event and top stars like Scarlett Johansson spoke out against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
According to Variety, Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne wants to “recognize the hard work and innovation that goes into making a film that is both a blockbuster and artistically exceptional” with this award. Globes Executive Vice President Tim Grays adds blockbusters have “typically not been recognized among industry awards, but they should be.”
“Barbie” has already become the highest-grossing film of the year, amassing $1.36 billion at the worldwide box office, with “Oppenheimer” close behind, earning $850 million. It is safe to assume these two films, along with “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” will also be frontrunners for the award ceremony. However, my brain is currently trying to process the reasoning behind rewarding only one of the former two films with a Globe award. The cultural milestone of the “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” double feature will lose a bit of its charm with a redundant “financial achievement” trophy attached to one of these films.
The quality of an award show is not merited by the number of blockbusters nominated each year. Sure, it is plausible that increasing the number of blockbuster nominations will lead to increased viewership. However, it is more plausible that modern audiences are simply losing faith in award shows.
Social media has changed our approach to tastes toward certain pieces of media. People can share their opinions and come to a consensus regarding films and other visual media within the need of higher institutions.
A common sentiment I see online when another blockbuster fails to win is award shows don’t have the right to tell people what they should think is good. It is an unfortunately popular side effect of the widespread use of social media.
Film awards season is my favorite time of the year, and I hope these ceremonies rethink any decision to include box office awards in the future. They need to stop trying to appeal to audiences and go back to celebrating the medium they honor. Including categories that cater to a film’s financial gain can be detrimental to the overall quality of filmmaking. Now, instead of concerning themselves with making a high-quality picture, studios may shift toward earning the highest box office performance if other ceremonies follow suit.
Trey Barrett is a graduate student studying film at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Trey know by emailing him at tb222023@ohio.edu.
