by Caroline Polen

The Academy Awards aren’t anything new. The first “Oscars” took place in 1929, but are the awards declining in popularity among youth?  

The awards recognize excellence in cinematic achievements. This year the Oscars were hosted by American television host and comedian Conan O’Brien and drew in 18 million views. Yet that was an 8% drop from the 19.5 million views from last year. “The livestreaming experience was far from perfect,” John Koblin of The New York Times said. “There were glitches at the beginning of the show, and some subscribers did not see the finish, when their feed was abruptly cut off shortly before the best actress and best picture awards were given out,”

Students and staff at BHS were unaware and uninterested in the Oscars, and many didn’t watch it.

“I didn’t even know it was on,” sophomore Sophie Bamford said.

“I was busy and didn’t find it interesting,” junior Erjuwan Alkhafaf said. “I heard things about it leading up, but I knew I would see the funny parts eventually.”

“I’ve never really watched the Oscars because I’m not much of a movie person,” BHS librarian Amanda Brenner said. ”I’d rather spend my time reading.”

This year, Dolby Theatre held the 97th annual Oscars award ceremony. It made history on Sunday by running for almost four hours and five movies earned multiple awards. 

The movie “Anora” won five academy awards. It received awards for best picture, directing, best actress in a leading role, film editing, and original screenplay. 

Zoe Saldana won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in “Emelia Perez.”

To see the full winners list visit this Los Angeles Times article.