The 76th Emmy Awards took place on September 15, 2024 and were a star-studded event filled with tears and happiness. Though many people may be happy with the outcome of the recent Emmy Awards, others are not.
Many award shows, including the Emmys, have seen ratings drop. According to Statista, 43.7 million viewers tuned into the Oscars in 2014; in 2024, viewership was cut down by more than half. This is because of the disinterest in many award shows and the recent popularity of short-form video content. The decline in viewership is predominantly due to fewer young people tuning in. According to the National Research Group, “The Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and Golden Globes all now have audiences where the average viewer is over 50 years old.”
So, how do award shows increase their popularity with younger audiences? Many Millennials and Gen-Zers believe that “award shows should feature at least one fan-voted category” (National Research Group). Adding this category would allow fans to feel included in the ceremony and increase viewership because many would like to see if their choice won.
The decline in many award shows can also be attributed to the public relevance of these shows. Many of the movies and TV shows nominated on award shows, such as the Emmys, are not as popular with millennials and Gen Zers as they are with Baby Boomers and Gen Xers.
Shows such as “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “Outer Banks” have never been nominated for a broadcasted Emmy award. Examples such as this can turn away a lot of younger people from watching the Emmys because popular shows with Gen-Z viewers have not been nominated. The National Research Group reported that “just over half of consumers (53%) believe that the preferences of awards show judges are out of touch with the tastes of general audiences.”
For award shows to gain back their audience, they need to consider the younger people who have a huge impact on the world today. With the popularity of TikTok, Instagram, and many other social media platforms, it is easy for a show or movie to spread and become popular very quickly. Award shows need to recognize these trends and act on them before they become completely irrelevant.