Only “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” had the younger generation dominating the audience.
As the entertainment world gears up for the 2023 Oscars, one question lingers about Academy members voting for movies and actors: Do they represent the movie-going audience?
After studies from a decade ago reported an Academy membership that was overwhelmingly white and male, the organization has continued to work to expand and diversify its ranks. But an effort to limit voting to members who actively work in the movie industry hit charges of age discrimination, and the Academy has remained silent on the issue of its members’ ages. A report examining the diversification effort presented an average age of 63 years. Naturally, some have wondered if the Oscars were skewed toward the preferences of older audiences.
What we can do is look at the generational breakdown of audiences for films nominated for the Best Picture award using demographic and demand data from Parrot Analytics, which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and networks. social, among other commitments. Of the 10 Best Picture nominees, only “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” had the two younger generations with more than 50% of the audience.
Of the older movies, “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Top Gun: Maverick” were favorites among millennials ages 30-39. More than 35% of the audience for each film belonged to this generation. “All Quiet on the Western Front” was a strong favorite among the 40+ group. The themes of several of these films made them more relatable with audiences over 30, such as strong 1980s nostalgic appeal (“Top Gun: Maverick”), social satire (“Triangle of Sadness”), war drama ( “All Quiet on the Western Front”), or aging and mortality (“The Banshees of Inisherin”).
Demand for Best Picture Nominees, February 5-March 5, 2023 (Parrot Analytics)
Three movies clearly stood out in popularity over the past 30 days: “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” The next four are in solid demand at 20 to 30 times the average movie. While the Academy is often criticized for not listening to the public, there’s a high chance that the most popular movie will win Best Picture this year, as “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a favorite.
Demographics of the Best Picture nominees, February 5-March 5, 2023 (Parrot Analytics)
Three of the nominees trail the others in terms of audience demand: “Triangle of Sadness”, “Speaking Women” and “Tár”. While it’s not uncommon for a niche movie like these to win, it would certainly catch people off guard. As we saw last year when “CODA” beat out much more popular movies like “Licorice Pizza,” “Dune” and “The Power Of The Dog,” a surprise win tends to be a boon for movies that might not have otherwise. obtained. A lot of attention.
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Daniel Quinaud is a Senior Data Analyst at Parrot Analytics, a WrapPRO partner. For more information on Parrot Analytics, visit the data and analytics center.
