LOS ANGELES — To filmmakers who grew up watching the Oscars, this Sunday is supposed to be their Super Bowl. With its parade of fashion, movie stars and acclaimed films, the annual awards show, which once brought in tens of millions of viewers, inspired generations of artists to get into the business.
But as television ratings have shrunk and movies have been demoted to a supporting role in pop culture, many people in the industry worry that the glamour of honoring the top achievements in filmmaking has faded.
There's a growing worry that the Academy Awards have become a niche for a passionate crowd as audiences gravitate toward star-studded TV series, video games and TikTok influencers. That, some say, has created an identity crisis for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that votes on the awards.
