By Camille Cox | Staff Writer

The 2022 Oscar nominations were filled with surprises and snubs: “Spider-Man: No Way Home” received absolutely nothing, Lady Gaga was snubbed from a nomination for her performance in “House of Gucci” and “The Power of the Dog” surprisingly led nominations across the board.

While the Academy Awards are known for being a prestigious awards ceremony within the movie industry, critics have said the Oscars not only lack diversity in nominations but also appeal to a small community of elite moviegoers.

This year, the academy decided the public will vote via Twitter for the #OscarsFanFavorite movie, which will be announced at the award broadcast ceremony on March 27. Something the academy has never done before, should bring in a wider audience. Although I think what’s most interesting is how this new tactic will showcase what the public thinks deserves recognition despite the academy’s position. Additionally, three movie fans who vote in the poll will be randomly selected to travel to Los Angeles and present an award.

This new vote implements the average moviegoer’s opinion. While I love movies, I often find myself lost in the list of Oscar nominations every year. I saw a lot of the nominees for various awards: “West Side Story,” “Belfast,” “House of Gucci,” “No Time to Die,” “Don’t Look up,” “Dune,” “Encanto” and more. But I was disappointed to see that “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was snubbed from the best picture category. Now, fans like myself who believe this movie deserves an Oscar can go to Twitter to vote.

In 2021, the Oscar viewership plummeted, reaching an all-time low. According to Forbes, people stopped watching the Oscars due to the lack of diversity among the academy’s nominees and because the award show did not appeal to the average moviegoer. With the implementation of the fan favorite vote, fans can feel much more included in the decision-making of the winners. However, in regards to the Oscars continuing its lack of acknowledgement of people of color within nominations, USA Today reported that the list of 2022 nominees fails, yet again, to make positive strides toward inclusivity.

Overall, the Oscars are trying. They are trying to make their show more appealing for a wider audience. I applaud their efforts and look forward to voting for my favorite movie of the year, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and I hope other fans will interact and do the same. Even if other people don’t agree about “Spider-Man: No Way Home” they can still put in their vote for whichever movie they feel should be included in the category.