Please, I Hope The Academy Sees This, Because We NEED These Oscar Categories In This Day And Age
The annual Academy Awards has grown since its first ceremony in 1929, where there were only 12 categories. This year at the 95th Oscars, motion picture professionals will be honored in 24 departments.
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And while some may think the ceremony is too long, I’m pushing to add more! Because who doesn’t want to see more people winning?!
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Hear me out…or should I say for your consideration...these should all be real categories for the next Oscars ceremony:
Erin Brockovich energy is needed for this argument.
1.Best Voice Acting Performance
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With the growing number of voice acting roles in films, this category only makes sense. It would be an opportunity to honor iconic roles like James Earl Jones as Darth Vader in Star Wars or Scarlett Johansson as A.I. "Samantha" in Her. While animated films are highlighted let's go further and give the voice actors their credit too; Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin was top-quality voice-acting. Plus, this is a great chance to give Morgan Freeman an easy win. He could narrate a dictionary and have people captivated.
2.Best Stunt Performance or Coordinator
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Stunt workers literally risk their lives to make other people look cool. The least they deserve is a category to be awarded for their hard work and dedication. And if actors are like adrenaline junky Tom Cruise, this is an extra chance for them to get acknowledged. It would also secure nominations for box-office hits like MCU films, James Bond, and Mission Impossible.
3.Best Assistant Director
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Fun fact! Best Assistant Director used to be a recognized category from 1933-1937. As the industry began to grow, the awards became more about competition and less about recognizing hard work. For that reason, this category should be reinstated to show appreciation for the tedious work and patience it takes to be an assistant. If we’ve learned anything from The Devil Wears Prada, it’s that being an assistant can be soul-crushing. So, let’s help build their souls back up beginning with adding a best assistant director category.
4.Best Non-Drama, Comedy, or Musical
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The Golden Globes have set a great example by separating films into Best Drama and Best Comedy or Musical. It allows breakthroughs for critically acclaimed genres like sci-fi, horror, and comedies to gain more recognition. Also, to be fair comedians are even hired to host the Oscars. Let’s give comedies some more room to grow and excel.
5.Best Ensemble
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Not all films are carried by one or two individual performances. The Best Ensemble category will recognize the cast as a unit. Films like Knives Out, American Hustle, and Oceans Eleven would have a space to be awarded for their performance as a team. You know what they say…teamwork makes the dream work.
6.And Best Casting Director
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If we’re honoring the ensemble we have to credit the person who brought them together. Whether it’s bringing Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Ed Helms together for Hangover or casting Angela Bassett as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It they contribute a big part to a film's success.
Honorable mentions:
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Because I like to push the envelope.
Best Joke, Iconic, or Memorable Line
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You may be thinking this is far-fetched, and you’re right. But this is what I want to see. It’s for the writers, really. Great, well-written, and well-executed jokes should be rewarded. Example: “She doesn’t even go here!” (Damien, Mean Girls). As well as the iconic lines from Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator, “I’ll be back." Comedy and drama go hand-and-hand. Some of the best jokes are hidden in some of the most dramatic movies. So naturally, there would be bonus points if it’s a comedic line in a drama.
Best Bloopers Compilation
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Here’s an even more far-fetched idea, but mainly because I think it would be fun. This fun activity would provide another editing award. What better way for an editor to showcase their skills than with editing bloopers? It would give audience members something to watch during the credits, editors will get more recognition, and more importantly, we will see our favorite celebrities be human. It would be like America’s Funniest Home Videos but Hollywood edition. It’s a win for everyone, or not…
