Editorial: Awards Season in the Apocalypse
By: Elise Fulmer, Editor
The year 2020 was arguably the worst year of all time. Some may even compare it to some sort of deranged Kubrick and Tarantino hybrid movie. With Award Season approaching us, the Oscars this year will be like none other.
The Oscars will be hosted on April 25th and with nominations being announced last week, buzz is circulating about potential winners. With many theaters being closed to the pandemic, many feature films have delayed their debut dates or resorted to streaming services to distribute their movies. In years past, movies that premiered on streaming services have typically never fared well in Award Shows. Streaming services have been criticized in the past during award season because they broke the tradition of theatrical releases. Streaming services this year, however, came in clutch, allowing millions of citizens to enjoy brand new films in the safety of their own homes. All eight of the Best Picture Nominees either went straight to streaming services or went straight to on-demand viewing.
The 2021 Oscars will also be unique in that the nominees for the awards have been some of the most diverse in Oscars history. Films such as The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Judas and the Black Messiah have been nominated for best picture and focus on stories of African American history. With 2020 marking the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, it is nice to see well-deserved representation in the media, especially in the Academy. The 2021 Oscars have also seen some of the most diverse actors up for awards, including Andra Day, Viola Davis, and Chadwick Boesman.
Though the year 2020 may not have been pleasant, some positive things were able to come out of it. The Oscars, which have lacked diversity in the past, are finally taking a step in the right direction.
