“Popular Oscar” – yay or nay?

The Academy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film (or the Academy Award for Best Popular Film) is a proposed award that was to be presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It was announced as a brand new category by the Academy on August 8, 2018. The following month, AMPAS announced that the award would not be presented at the 91st Academy Awards as initially planned, and had delayed the award to “examine and seek additional input regarding the new category”.

The announcement of a Popular Film category was met with overwhelming negativity from journalists and Academy members alike. Many viewed it as an attempt to pander to mainstream audiences, in the hopes of increasing annual ratings. The category was also criticized for diminishing the chances that blockbuster films might have at scoring a Best Picture nomination.The title of the category was also criticised, with “popular” suggesting that the films nominated in other categories are unpopular or not of interest to mainstream audiences. Bob Chipman at The Escapist noted that the front-runner for the inaugural prize was Black Panther, a film with a predominantly African-American cast and noted for its position within Black culture, would be effectively receiving a “separate but equal” Best Picture award.