Hollywood’s award season is in full swing. Some of the more popular award shows, like the Grammys and Oscars, happen back-to-back in February and March. This year they are live on February 5th and March 12th. Although, many students won’t be watching. The lack of viewers in recent years has called into question the relevance of these ceremonies.

A poll conducted with 27 BSM students revealed that 55.6% of students occasionally watch, 37% don’t watch, and only 7.4% watch these award shows. Some students revealed that they dislike the shows because they take too much time. Sophomore Nico Peterson came to the conclusion that because of TikTok and other social media platforms, our generation has become accustomed to smaller attention spans. “Just send out an article, or make a video without a bunch of ads [instead],” Peterson said.

So do the viewers that watch even enjoy paying attention? The recent trends of cancel culture and a call to normalize celebrities cause many viewers to accumulate a distaste for the ceremonies. BSM math and drama teacher Jake Mahler enjoys the entertainment aspect of some of these shows so he tends to watch the more heavily entertaining ceremonies, like the Grammys and Tonys. “I don’t want to watch an award show for really rich people awarding themselves about how great they are,” Mahler said.

For the people who do watch, the shows can be a tradition. Junior Sophia Parish loves music and media so she enjoys watching these award shows live. Parish specifically likes watching the Grammys with some of her best friends. She enjoys ranking outfits on the red carpet and supporting her favorite artists and bands. “I was so surprised when Taylor [Swift] didn’t win at the Grammys, but I was still proud that she was nominated for awards,” Parish said.

So are the award shows still needed and relevant? Whether it’s because of bias, lack of luster, or time the reaction that has been recorded is that these shows aren’t needed. Peterson and others have expressed that they feel there isn’t a point to the shows and they waste time with all the advertisements. “One award and then they go to a commercial, it’s not actually interesting or enjoyable to watch,” Peterson said.

On the other hand, Parish feels it is just a personal preference. She has watched since she was younger and loves the traditions and friends she watches with. “Whether you like watching or not, I think it comes down to supporting popular creators, artists,s or actors in the art they produce,” Parish said.