Oscars to Recognize Fan-Favorite Film Selected by Public Voting

A number of factors are considered when it comes to selecting the Best Picture at the Academy Awards, with the organization announcing today that it will be honoring a film during the upcoming awards celebration in which fans can nominate a “Fan-Favorite” movie from 2021, per The Hollywood Reporter. The Academy has partnered with Twitter and, whichever film earns the most votes using the hashtag #OscarsFanFavorite will be spotlighted at the ceremony, as will the scene that is voted as #OscarsCheerMoment. While neither the fan-favorite film nor the most exciting scene will earn an official Oscar, it marks an opportunity for fans to share their love of their favorite movie moments of 2021.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Twitter to help build an engaged and excited digital audience leading up to this year’s ceremony,” Meryl Johnson, VP Digital Marketing at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, shared in a statement to the outlet. “Through these activations, social media users around the world now have more opportunities to engage with the show in real time, find a community, and be a part of the experience in ways they’ve never been able to before.”

While some fans will surely be participating in the social media activation earnestly, with the campaign having only launched today, we can only assume there could be situations in which Twitter users mobilize to manipulate the outcome in hopes of an unexpected movie to be honored during the ceremony. Twitter users will be able to participate in the activation up to 20 times a day now through March 3rd.

“Twitter is the place to be during award shows and the Oscars is one of the biggest conversation drivers every year,” Sarah Rosen, Twitter’s head of U.S. entertainment and news partnerships, added. “The idea that a movie fan might see their tweet during the Oscars broadcast is pretty epic, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with the Academy to bring this to life.”

Especially in recent years, there has been a disconnect between the films that make the most money at the box office and the films that are highlighted by the Academy for their artistic achievements. Especially as superhero films not only earn excitement from audiences but also score relatively strong critical reactions, audiences have grown more vocal about their frustrations regarding their favorite films not earning coveted awards. These discussions have grown passionate in recent months with fans hoping Spider-Man: No Way Home could be considered for prestigious awards, ultimately only scoring a nomination for Best Visual Effects.

Back in 2018, The Academy announced plans for the new category “Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film.” After earning a swift and passionate backlash from filmmakers and critics alike, plans for the category were delayed indefinitely. 

This year’s Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 27th.

What do you think of the campaign? Let us know in the comments below!