Oscar gives thumbs-down to ‘Popular’ category award

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) on Thursday shelved the ‘Popular’ category from its 91^st edition of the Academy Awards 2019, following huge backlash from the movie industry, said sources.

The Oscars Awards 2019 is slated to take place in Los Angeles on February 24.

In August, the Academy announced the creation of a popular award to recognize ‘outstanding achievement in popular film’, however the idea, immediately dubbed ‘the popular Oscar,’ ran headlong into a wall of criticism, said the sources.

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AMPAS in a statement opined that “Implementing any new award nine months into the year creates challenges for films that have already been released.”

The Academy and its board of members have decided to evaluate following the mixed reactions and sought for engagement to members and clear the air, said the sources.

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There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members, Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Academy re-elected President John Bailey was appalled by the knee-jerk reaction to the new category and opines that some people did not understand its goal to give recognition to the kind of films that are being made today, said the sources.