Oscars: New Popular Film Category Inspires Fan Suggestions For Other New Academy Awards

Best Beard, anyone?

News of The Academy’s decision to add a “popular film” category at the Oscars has been met with a mixed reception but rather than straight-up complaining, many of those who are unhappy have suggested other categories The Academy could have gone for.

Some ideas are, obviously, more serious than others. Here’s a round-up of our favourites…

Let’s start with the fans calling for under-appreciated, non-acting stars to get recognition:

At the other end of the seriousness-scale, there’s this suggestion:

Other possible nominees include Ryan Reynolds and Bradley Cooper, though if it’s lifetime achievement we’re talking, this one probably belongs to Gandalf. 

The film industry is a tough one to crack, so a special prize for new filmmakers would definitely help: 

Or what about, y’know, a vehicle-based prize: 

Think outside the box, people. Speaking of which...  

Ok, back to the (semi-)serious ones. 

Is it about time the Oscars started taking genre into account?  

And finally, we’d be very much here for any of these…

The new category is part of a big push to modernise the annual ceremony which, let’s admit it, isn’t exactly known for being a thrill-a-minute and super forward-thinking.

This isn’t the only alteration announced either as The Academy will be moving the ceremony to early February in 2020 - which resulted in Bafta announcing their awards night will also move to earlier in the Awards Season calendar. 

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Elizabeth Taylor (1961) (credit:PA)
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David Niven (1974) (credit:PA)
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Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, and James L. Brooks (1974) (credit:PA)
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Jack Nicholson (1984) (credit:PA)
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Cher and Michael Douglas (1988) (credit:PA)
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Claudia Schiffer, Pierce Brosnan and Naomi Campbell (1996) (credit:PA)
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Halle Berry and Denzel Washington (2002) (credit:Frank Micelotta Archive via Getty Images)