With the Academy Awards taking place this Sunday, February 28, the NRG Research Group and Peak Communicators have made some interesting award show predictions. The group gathered 1,000 Canadians to see who planned to watch the Oscars, what films they thought would win big and how the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag has impacted their decision to watch.
While it’s not so surprising that “The Revenant”;, filmed in Alberta with Leonardo DiCaprio, is expected to win big, with 37 per cent of the votes, it is surprising to hear that the majority of viewers intending to watch the Oscars will be men. According to the study, 65 percent of Canadian men under 35 plan to watch the show compared to only 50 percent of the women in the same age group.
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“It is fascinating to see the demographics of Canadians planning to tune into this entertainment telecast,” says Dr. Lesley Duncan, Research Consultant with NRG Research Group. “Stereotypically we picture women following entertainment and celebrity news more closely, whereas in reality the Oscars seem to be more popular among men.”
The other two films that fell close to “The Revenant”; for Best Picture votes were “The Martian”; with 11 per cent of the votes and “Mad Max: Fury Road”; with 6 per cent overall.
When it came to the question of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag and if this lack of diversity has impacted people’s decision to watch, 66 per cent said it does not impact their viewing decision. Duncan explains, “While two-thirds of Canadians won’t change their viewing habits as a result of the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, 18 percent – predominantly men aged 18-54 – are more likely to watch the show, and 10 percent – mostly women aged 18-34 – are less likely to tune in.”