Hollywood Still Shines: Americans Keep Tuning Into Awards Shows, Ap-Norc Poll Reveals

Awards Shows Still Got That LA Glam

Yo, LA fam, the red carpet is still poppin’! According to a fresh poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about half of U.S. adults have caught all or most of an awards show on TV or streaming in the past year. And just over half admit to bingeing clips—think viral Oscar moments or Grammy performances—while roughly 6 in 10 have tuned into either a full show or highlights in the last 12 months.

Even with endless entertainment options in this streaming era, the old-school vibe of the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, Tonys, and Golden Globes still holds weight. These glitzy events, often hosted right here in the heart of Hollywood, are fighting to stay relevant, and it looks like they’re not down for the count just yet. From the Dolby Theatre to the Crypto.com Arena, there’s a pulse in these star-studded nights that keeps us watching.

This comes at a time when viewership for heavyweights like the Oscars and Emmys has seen a little bump after years of decline. Cultural shifts have changed how we gather around the TV, but the allure of seeing who snags the gold—or who flops on stage—still draws a crowd.

Keeping Up with the Times, Hollywood-Style

The game has changed, though, and awards shows are adapting with that SoCal summer energy. Walter Hanley, a 69-year-old former music industry insider, remembers the days of regional Grammys in the ‘70s and ‘80s when it was all about the technical awards—think sound engineering and producers getting their shine. Now? It’s all about the performances, and he’s cool with that pivot.

“Awards shows gotta evolve with the audience—give ‘em the live moments and big performances they crave,” Hanley said.

He believes this shift is what’s keeping these events alive in a world obsessed with TikTok and instant gratification. Whether it’s a jaw-dropping Grammy duet or an Oscars speech gone viral, catering to what viewers want is the name of the game in Tinseltown.

Oscars Lead the Pack with Viewer Love

Speaking of the Oscars, they’re still the king of awards season, pulling in nearly 20 million viewers this past March when “Anora” snagged Best Picture and four other major awards. That’s a five-year high, though nowhere near the 55 million who tuned in back in ‘98 to see “Titanic” sweep 11 trophies—talk about a time when awards shows ruled the world!

Die-hard fans like Christine Steingraber, a 64-year-old awards enthusiast, still make it a ritual. The Oscars are her jam, but she’s also down for the Emmys and Grammys, even if she’s not always up on the nominated shows or artists. For her, it’s a chance to discover something new—maybe a series to stream or an artist to vibe with on Spotify.

“It’s like a window into what’s hot,” she says, echoing the sentiment of many who use these shows as a cultural compass. And with streaming partners dropping full shows the next day, plus social media serving up every viral moment, the biggest nights—like those at the Academy Awards right here in Hollywood—keep the buzz going long after the credits roll.

Clips and Memes: The New Red Carpet Walk

Let’s be real—awards shows live on through memes and snippets these days. Think Will Smith’s infamous slap at the Oscars or the “La-La Land” mix-up that had everyone in LA talking. The poll shows younger folks under 45 are more likely to watch both full shows and clips compared to the over-45 crowd, proving social media has become the afterparty for these events.

The survey also found that clip-watchers and full-show fans overlap a ton, though slightly more people are just catching the highlights. About 4 in 10 Americans haven’t watched either, but among those who do, awards shows resonate stronger with Black and Hispanic adults—around 7 in 10 have tuned in, compared to just over half of white adults.

Targeted shows like the BET Awards and Latin Grammys are hitting niche audiences hard, much like the MTV Video Music Awards did for Gen X back in the mid-‘80s. Rose Lucas, 77, used to love catching the BET Awards for the R&B and hip-hop vibes, but now she’s all about the next-day clips. “They’re too long to watch live,” she admits, preferring to sip her morning coffee in Malibu-style peace while scrolling through the best moments.

Not Everyone’s RSVP-ing to the Gala

Even with the Emmys rolling back this Sunday—likely at the Peacock Theater downtown—don’t expect everyone to tune in. Last year’s Emmys got a nice boost after a delayed January 2024 show due to Hollywood’s strikes, but they’re still pulling less than half the Oscars’ audience. Challenges like the pandemic and this year’s wildfires across California have thrown a wrench into the usual awards rhythm.

TV might be the new prestige art form over movies for some, but the Emmys haven’t caught up in the ratings race. The long-term drop in awards viewership mirrors the overall slide in live broadcast and cable TV—unless we’re talking football, pretty much everything’s feeling the pinch. And with dozens of awards shows yearly, only a handful really move the needle—about 3 in 10 Americans say they’ve watched “several times” in the past year.

Then there’s folks like Inez Parker, 88, who still watches live and plans to catch the Emmys this weekend. But don’t expect her to rewatch or scroll for clips—she’s got no time for that. “I watch it live, and that’s it,” she says, embodying that old-school LA loyalty to the moment, no replays needed.