Awards Season 2024: Audience Appetites, Brand Moves, & Online Hype
Published 07 March 2024
In recent years audiences have struggled to see the relevance of awards season’s cliquey spectacle. Ahead of the big finale - the 2024 Academy Awards on March 10 - we explore how new strategies for broadcast, a thriving culture of dedicated social media content, and smart moves from brand players are helping to reanimate awards season for audiences.
Key Stats
Awards Season 2024 |
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- Audience-Attuned Broadcasts - Simulcasts & Awards for Fan-Favourites: This year, some awards ceremonies reversed the trend of plummeting viewership figures by ensuring the broadcasts demonstrated a keener eye for audience appetites.
For the first time, the Golden Globes (January 8) both broadcast on American television network CBS and livestreamed on Paramount+, winning 51% higher viewership than in 2023. This was thanks to the simulcast viewing options and a new award category recognising audience favourites – Cinematic and Box Office Achievement – resulting in popstar Taylor Swift (nominated for her concert film) attending the ceremony and a win for megahit Barbie.
The Grammys (February 4) scored a viewer upswing of 34%. Also broadcast live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+, the show prioritised performances over awards (broadcasting only 12 of 91 award categories). The line-up included Gen Z favourites such as American pop starlet Olivia Rodrigo and legends like Canadian-American singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.
Some shake-ups didn’t connect. Netflix, continuing its experiments with live TV, hosted and livestreamed the Screen Actors Guild Awards (February 24) for the first time. But the show – a subdued ceremony, accented by multiple plugs for Netflix programmes – failed to crack top 10 lists in most territories.
Barbie wins at the 2024 Golden Globes
Taylor Swift at the 2024 Golden Globes
 Barbie wins at the 2024 Golden Globes |  Taylor Swift at the 2024 Golden Globes |
Olivia Rodrigo at the 2024 Grammys
Joni Mitchell at the 2024 Grammys
 Olivia Rodrigo at the 2024 Grammys |  Joni Mitchell at the 2024 Grammys |
- The Online Hype Machine - Amateur-Experts, Viral Movie Interpretations, & Red-Carpet Aesthetics: Awards-show-themed social media content is now the propulsive force driving audience interest throughout the season.
On #MovieTok, as outlined in Look Ahead 2024, the rise of amateur-expert critics is powering reams of fan-led content dedicated to awards predictions and reactions (an Oscar nominations announcement reaction video from American TikTokker @Supes – an amateur entertainment critic with 3.3 million followers – has garnered 4.7 million views).
Oscars’ Best Picture nominee Anatomy of a Fall has become a trending topic thanks to its whodunnit courtroom premise and knotty lead performance by German actor Sandra Hüller – a perfect addition to the ongoing online discourse about womanhood and relationships. Playful creativity sits alongside in-depth thematic breakdowns: creators are dancing to the film’s main song, a clip of a pivotal scene has become a viral sound, and the movie’s dog (played by Border collie Messi) is now an online star.
Awards-season satire is flourishing. Creator @JulianSewell (757,000 followers on TikTok) posts as various fictional actresses – like 'Paloma Diamond' and 'Taylor Witherfork' – beguiling and simpering on press tours and at awards shows, racking up millions of views.
Fashion continues to fuel a distinct subset of awards-season content. In addition to best-and worst-dressed round-ups, observers are gleefully finding connections with trending online aesthetics: American rapper Ice Spice was “giving mob wife” at the Grammys (see The Brief), while creators also spotted examples of coquettecore and the emergent cowboycore.
@supes More Oscar Nominations!👀 #supes #oscar #movie #film #hollywood ♬ original sound - SUPES
@supes Best Actor Oscar Nominations… #supes #oscar #movie #film #hollywood ♬ original sound - SUPES
Anatomy of a Fall dog-actor Messi
Anatomy of a Fall
Anatomy of a Fall
 Anatomy of a Fall dog-actor Messi |  Anatomy of a Fall |  Anatomy of a Fall |
Ice Spice at the 2024 Grammys
Beyonce at the 2024 Grammys
Lana Del Rey's coquette look at the 2024 Grammys
 Ice Spice at the 2024 Grammys |  Beyonce at the 2024 Grammys |  Lana Del Rey's coquette look at the 2024 Grammys |
- Brands Choose Cultural Nods - Odes to Fans, Performance-Led Ads, & Memeable Moments: Brands are using awards season to revisit the past year’s buzziest moments of cultural conversation and deliver fodder for fans.
American hotel chain Hilton dedicated its traditional Grammys ad spots to a campaign referencing the resurgent appetite for live music (see The Brief). The first ad, featuring a performance by Grammy-winning Icelandic singer Laufey, focused on Hilton Honors loyalty scheme’s new concert ticket rewards. The second spot paid tribute to the concertgoers booking hotel rooms so they can see their favourite acts on tour.
Mastercard partnered with American singer SZA (2024’s most-nominated act) for a three-minute Grammys ad-break takeover, spotlighting its reforestation initiative. The segment featured SZA debuting her new single, integrating the campaign within the night’s roster of star-studded stage shows.
And US-based coffee chain Dunkin’ continued its meme-inspired collaboration with American actor Ben Affleck for a Grammys spot, riffing on a meme sparked by Affleck’s glum appearance at the 2023 ceremony. The ad shows Affleck working to launch his own popstar career with the help of American influencer Charli D’Amelio.
For an Emmys ad, Coca-Cola partnered with Christopher Storer, showrunner of the much-nominated (and memed) Disney+ show The Bear. An homage to a fan-favourite season two episode, the ad recreates scenes from the family drama, with every character drinking Coca-Cola products and a happy ending subbed in for the episode’s unsettling finish.
Hilton Honors
Hilton Honors
 Hilton Honors |  Hilton Honors |