Netflix, one of the first video streaming services to gain global accessibility, may receive the most awards at the upcoming Oscars. The company has 36 Oscar nominations which is more than any other streaming service or network. It’s most popular film Mank has 10 nominations, more than any other project. Even though Netflix usually has many nominations, its lifetime record is 8 wins within 54 nominations, dating back to 2013. The fact that streaming services are gaining more award nominations over the years has given many filmmakers and producers a new platform for showcasing Oscar-level films. Even though these platforms are generating new nominations, at least for now they have not won a significant number of awards.
Netflix first appeared on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scene in 2013 when it was nominated for best documentary feature for The Square. Ever since, there has been a constant debate on how video streaming services are changing the film industry. While some may view it as a new opportunity, others believe their films should be a part of the Academy’s nominations and perhaps part of an entirely different award ceremony. Some critics are able to accept streaming services as a new and effective way to display film, and others refuse to see it as a technological innovation for film as a medium. The various arguments boil down to competition; there are clearly dozens of film that are produced by streaming services that are Oscar worthy, and some within the film industry have xenophobia and may not want to compete with films that are not shown in a traditional theaters. Since hardly anyone can go to a theater now to enjoy a movie, audiences can still appreciate new content through streaming services that otherwise would not exist if everyone in the industry refused to produce their films on it. More competition is a good thing; at this year’s award show Netflix’s Mank and Trial of the Chicago 7 are both nominated for best picture.
Last year Netflix received 24 nominations and won two awards. This is a likely scenario for this year’s event as well. However, it is an indication of the importance of streaming services within film. Since millions of people use them in order to connect with content, as streaming services become more popular it will start to seem commonplace for their films to win in more categories in the future.
Even if Netflix does not win a lot of awards, their list of nominations is impressive. It proves that streaming services belong in Hollywood Award shows and even more importantly, it should continue to be a great option for filmmakers. Equally as important, it shows that the streaming services provide its subscribers with Oscar-worthy content.
One of Netflix’s main goals is to give the consumer the ability to watch their films as quickly as possible. When the Covid pandemic goes away, Netflix will be able to do what it typically does with a film that shows promise, release it in theaters and make it available for streaming in the same week or shortly thereafter. This has been a successful strategy for them. Their main goals are to make high quality projects from a diverse group of filmmakers and reach as broad of an audience as possible. Netflix is achieving this goal and the number of wins at the Oscars may be reflective of that.