What is the Oscars ceremony about?
The Academy aims to reward the best performances in movies both in front of and behind the cameras. Because this judgment is subjective and influenced by specific campaigns – often disconnected from the marketing strategy designed for the masses – the Academy's picks are not necessarily blockbusters. However, the evening of the awards in 2024 saw the triumph of Universal, which received seven Oscars in total, all of them for “Oppenheimer”. Christopher Nolan’s movie, which depicts the life of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the first nuclear weapons, was awarded the very coveted Best Picture Oscar, as well as Best Actor in a Leading Performance for Cillian Murphy. With a total worldwide box revenue of more than 950 million U.S. dollars, the biographical thriller was among the highest-grossing movies of the year. Despite its critical and commercial success, “Barbie” only won one Academy Awards out of eight nominations, for Best Original Song.Diversity within the Academy
In 2024, women accounted for 32 percent of Oscar nominees in non-acting categories. This is the highest share since 2018. Almost a decade after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, the issue of diversity seems far from resolved, as opportunities for minorities seem to be shrinking. In a recent survey, 26 percent of viewers agreed that the Academy Awards had a diversity problem in regards to their nominees. Despite predictions, Lily Gladstone (they/them) did not receive the Best Actress in a Leading Performance Oscar for their role in Martin Scorsese’s drama “Killers of the Flower Moon”. Gladstone made history by becoming the first Native American to be nominated in an acting category and would have been the first to have won.Almost a century after their creation, the Oscars remain more relevant than ever as the benchmark event for cinematic excellence. While their popularity with younger viewers seems to ensure the ceremony's posterity, controversies surrounding diversity cast a shadow over its legacy.