The politics behind being rewarded for art
Earl Dangwa (he/him) // Contributor
Santiago Ospina (he/him) // Graphics
Welcome to the Academy Awards! The Grammys! The BAFTAs! The Golden Globes! Click. Flash. Cameras galore! Red carpets. Stunning gowns. Tailored suits. Diamond earrings. Polished shoes. Timothee Chalamet. The drama. What’s not to love?
Anticipated annually, these award shows are a culmination of the year’s best and brightest talents, whether that be big-budget Hollywood movies or music from new and budding artists waiting for their moment in the spotlight. Families and friends gather in the warmth of their homes to watch their favorite celebrities, hoping they win the most coveted award. For that night, people connect themselves to a community despite their differences of opinions regarding who should win. The awards are a celebration! It doesn’t matter who wins. After all, isn’t celebrating the arts the main purpose of these award shows?
In 2018, The Trump administration ramped up its “build a wall” promise and continued to focus blame on immigrants from Mexico. In the 2018 Oscar Awards, Coco—a movie centering Mexico’s Dia de Muertos (Day of The Dead)—won awards for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song. It was important that, amidst the government’s devaluation of Mexican lives, a movie portraying and celebrating Mexican culture earned one award, let alone two. These wins are one of many examples that show what award shows like the Oscars are capable of doing: celebrating the art and voices of under-represented and marginalized communities. Coco’s celebration at the Oscars was a reprieve from America’s political landscape because it gave people hope for a more inclusive media landscape. A natural follow-up question would be: Did it have any impact? Did winning the awards do anything to change or improve the lives of the people Coco represents? In the wake of Trump’s second term and ongoing I.C.E atrocities, the answer appears to be: No.
At the end of the day, the main purpose of award shows is not mainly about celebrating the arts, but about entertainment and providing people an escape. To both the celebrities attending and the people watching, these award shows are a welcome distraction from real-world political issues. When politics are brought up in these spaces, it is usually incredibly vague and heavily painted with satirical humour. The entirety of the 2025 Oscar awards was filled with jokes making light of the Trump administration, from Conan O’Brien’s “Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian” to vague support for Ukraine when Adam Sandler shouts “CHALAMET,” wearing a blue hoodie to compliment the other actor’s yellow suit: the colours of the Ukrainian flag. However, throughout the entire night, they never call out the president’s name directly. People don’t mind the politics in these moments because it contrasts tragedy with a “Hey, look! Funny AllegoryTM.”
It’s no surprise then that when people do use their voices to directly talk about politics, as in the most recent Grammy awards, there is controversy. Amidst performative “I.C.E. out” pins and vague statements made by celebrities, a lot of award winners used their speeches to stand for the abolition of I.C.E. The seriousness of Bad Bunny’s “I.C.E. out,” echoed by Billie Eilish and Kehlani’s “F*ck I.C.E.,” undercuts the distractions and brings people to reality. However, the controversies that arise due to their speeches themselves are a distraction. At least, I was very distracted by people arguing what place politics has in a space that celebrates art, followed by people explaining art is inherently political.
Am I saying we should give in to nihilism? That anything people do to fight injustice is meaningless? Well, not at all, actually. When a movie like Coco wins an award, or when celebrities use their voices to stand against injustice, it is a good thing. Bringing the public’s attention to injustice is a start, but the distracting nature of award shows and the controversies that arise brings into question how much value we should attribute to these award shows, and the real opinions of the celebrities that attend them.