As this year’s awards season comes to a close, even the biggest awards buffs might forget the near sweep by “Oppenheimer” at the Oscars — and instead remember John Cena’s near streak.
Leaning in to buzzy, viral moments at the Oscars — such as Ryan Gosling’s memorable rendition of “I’m Just Ken” and Martin Scorsese’s subsequent delight, or Miley Cyrus’ ad-libbed celebration of her first Grammy win — boosted nearly all of Hollywood’s awards shows to their biggest audiences since before the pandemic.
As linear viewership declines, zeitgeist-grabbing interactions and viral clips have proven critical to luring audiences back to awards ceremonies — whether they’re manufactured or not.