Reports that nobody cares about the Oscars – and, in particular, the categories that don’t feature A-list celebrities – appear to be greatly exaggerated.
Our general population poll of 1,000 Americans found three-fourths (74%) of respondents intend to watch this year’s awards ceremony for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as it broadcasts live, with over half (56%) detailing plans to watch as many nominated films as possible beforehand.
Only one in seven (13%) claimed to be actively disinterested, and just 23% were willing to call the Oscars “overrated.”
In contrast, twice as many respondents (40%) agreed that the awards are “a great way to recognize filmmakers whose work wouldn’t otherwise be able to compete with billion-dollar blockbusters.”
The poll was conducted from Feb. 8–12 2022, roughly a week before Academy president David Rubin revealed that eight awards – namely film editing, production design, sound, makeup and hairstyling, original score and all three short film awards – would be handed out off-air before the telecast.
Interestingly, one in three (34%) respondents agreed that people care too much about the acting awards and not enough about the rest of the filmmaking process.
However, a similar percentage (34%) also admitted to feeling that the nominations “don’t reflect the tastes of everyday people.”
In fact, a similar percentage of those polled (33%) agreed that “Spider-Man: No Way Home” should have gotten more than the single nomination it received for Best Visual Effects.
Respondents also noted the films and performances they feel were snubbed, a list that included Nicholas Cage in “Pig,” Lady Gaga’s role in “House of Gucci,” director Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket,” the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect.”
One even cited James Gunn’s soft reboot of “Suicide Squad,” the predecessor of which earned a 2017 Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Meanwhile, for 39%, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences still hasn’t done enough to recognize filmmakers from different viewpoints and backgrounds.
Maybe it’s not all that surprising, then, that the panel’s top pick for Best Picture and Best Director come from Japan’s film industry rather than Hollywood — Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car,” adapted from a short story by novelist Haruki Murakami.
As voted by our poll respondents:
Best Picture
Top pick: “Drive My Car” (11.9%)
Runner-up: “Don’t Look Up” (11.8)
Biggest upset: “Power of the Dog” (3%)
Best Actor
Top pick: Benedict Cumberbatch, “Power of the Dog” (23%)
Runner-up: Andrew Garfield, “Tick Tick…Boom!” (17%)
Biggest upset: Denzel Washington. “The Tragedy of Macbeth” (8%)
Best Supporting Actor
Top pick: Jesse Plemons, “Power of the Dog” (23%)
Runner-up: Troy Kotsur, “CODA” (22%)
Biggest upset: Kodi Smit-McPhee, “Power of the Dog” (4%)
Best Animated Feature
Top pick: “Luca” 20%
Runner up: “Encanto” 19%
Biggest upset: “Raya and the Last Dragon” 8%
Best Actress
Top pick: Olivia Coleman, “The Lost Daughter” (24%)
Runner-up: Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” (19%)
Biggest upset: Kristin Stewart, “Spencer” (5%)
Best Supporting Actress
Top pick: Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story” (24%)
Runner-up: Judi Dench, “Belfast” (20%)
Biggest upset: Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard” (5%)
Best Director
Top pick: Paul Thomas Anderson, “Licorice Pizza” (21%)
Runner up: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car” (20%)
Biggest upset: Steven Spielberg, “West Side Story” (10%)
This OnePoll general population online survey was conducted from Feb. 8–12 2022, with 1,000 Americans. As members of AAPOR – the American Association for Public Opinion Research, OnePoll researchers adhere to the principles and actions set out in the AAPOR Code.
