Awards Season: How Narrative Attacks Steal the Show from Winning Artists and Performers

Every year, awards season is supposed to be a time to celebrate the best in film, television, and music. From accusations of favoritism at the Oscars to claims that the Grammy music awards are outright rigged, harmful narrative attacks can overshadow even the most significant achievements. Instead of focusing on honoring the entertainers who take home the awards, the conversation is increasingly dominated by narrative attacks and controversies that question these institutions’ credibility and whether performers deserve the awards they win. A carefully timed social media thread, a viral video clip, or a wave of bot-driven hashtags can be enough to turn public sentiment against an artist or performer, making their win feel more like a controversy rather than a celebration. 

LEARN: What Is Narrative Intelligence?

Fans of Hollywood and showbiz spend countless hours scrolling through social media and the news, catching up on the latest viral moments in pop culture, or keeping tabs on their favorite celebrities. While this can be an entertaining way to stay informed on the latest music craze or the best movies to see at the theater, it also makes fans highly susceptible to shifting narratives and conspiracies surrounding the stars of music and entertainment. A single viral social media post can shape personal and public opinions of whether a musician rightfully deserved an award, fuel conspiracy theories about industry favoritism, or reinforce claims that entertainers were snubbed from an award.

Awards season is my version of the Super Bowl—glamorous, unpredictable, and full of viral moments that spark weeks of online debates discussing the narratives surrounding the ceremonies. There’s something endlessly entertaining about watching the internet dissect every win, snub, and viral red carpet moment, almost like it’s a Taylor Swift lyric that needs decoding.

From the “was this outcome rigged?” conspiracies to the annual outcry over which A-lister was unfairly overlooked, the drama and narrative attacks surrounding awards shows can be just as compelling as the ceremonies themselves. Whether it’s about Hollywood’s reluctance to fully embrace Netflix films, or the ongoing battle for Beyoncé to get the recognition that the internet says she deserves, I love diving into the narratives that shape who walks away with a prestigious award showcasing their achievement—and who just walks away with a new meme. 

As award season unfolds, the sheer volume of social media chatter can influence how fans perceive winners, nominees, and even the credibility of the actual awards, often blurring the line between fact and speculation. Understanding these narratives is important for understanding how narrative attacks influence the entertainment industry and its fans.

How Blackbird.AI’s Compass Context Helps Navigate Narrative Attacks Surrounding Awards Season

Positive and negative narratives can make or break the careers of those in the entertainment industry. Narrative attacks circling around popular awards shows like the Oscars and the Grammys are especially prevalent. The Academy Awards (Oscars) honor outstanding achievements in film, recognizing excellence in acting, directing, and production, while the Grammy Awards (Grammys), presented by the Recording Academy, celebrate the best in music, awarding artists, producers, and songwriters across various genres. Fans, artists, and industry leaders must critically assess the information they consume online. Blackbird.AI’s Compass Context provides the tools to analyze and verify the emerging narratives surrounding awards season, helping distinguish between information manipulation or misleading claims aimed to discredit your favorite actress or artist’s hard-earned win. AI-driven insights can help the entertainment industry and fans navigate viral controversies more confidently, allowing users to check whether or not the claims about their favorite singer or actress are based on reality rather than narrative attacks.

Compass Context (Compass) is a powerful tool for verifying and contextualizing the information you see online, providing clarity to any online claim, article link, or supported social media post or video. When you ask Compass a question or paste any URL link, it processes data in real-time from thousands of sources, checks claims, analyzes results using Blackbird.AI’s Narrative Intelligence Platform, and generates an accurate answer with footnotes and citation links.

Here are six narratives checked with Blackbird.AI’s Compass Context that are driving the discussions around awards shows in the entertainment industry in 2025, and how these narratives shape public perception.

Narrative #1: A Lack of Credibility at Awards Shows has led to a Decline in Viewership

A common narrative is that awards shows have lost credibility, leading to decreased viewership. This narrative stems from accusations of industry bias, a lack of transparency in the voting process for nominees and winners, and a growing sentiment that winners are chosen based on politics rather than merit. The Oscars and Grammys have struggled to maintain similar viewership numbers compared to their heightened viewership stats a decade ago. The drop in viewers could be due to younger audiences disengaging from the traditional televised broadcast due to streaming dominance, and also due to the ability to quickly catch highlights and notable moments through social media platforms instead of watching entire broadcasts.

We used Blackbird.AI’s Compass Context to check the claim that the number of viewers tuning in to these high-profile awards shows has declined due to a lack of credibility. Compass reports that the decline in viewership is not uniform across all award shows. Various reasons contribute to the decline, with evolving media consumption patterns and competition from other entertainment forms being major drivers.

Narrative #2: Awards Shows Intentionally Snub Entertainers to Spark Controversy and Gain Publicity

There is also the trending idea that award shows are phony and are instead designed to drive controversy, which may also contribute to a drop in viewership. A growing conspiracy theory suggests that the leading awards shows like the Oscars, Emmys, and the Grammys intentionally snub major actors and artists to fuel controversy and dominate online discourse. This year, Taylor Swift’s complete shutout—despite the massive success of her Eras Tour and latest album—left fans outraged, with many believing the Recording Academy deliberately overlooked her to stir debate and keep the show relevant. Some argue that high-profile snubs create viral moments, boosting engagement and ensuring the high-profile event remains a talking point long after the ceremony ends, reinforcing suspicions that industry politics and media strategy outweigh genuine artistic recognition. When checking the claim that entertainers are intentionally snubbed to drive controversy, Compass reports this claim is subjective, and there is no concrete evidence to support this claim.

Narrative #3: Awards Shows Nominees and Winners Are Based on Favoritism & Industry Elitism

Accusations of favoritism are nothing new in Hollywood, but they spread faster and hit harder in the digital age. Well-connected studios are criticized for pushing their star actors or actresses for an Oscar. Major record labels allegedly secure Grammy nominations for their artists, leading many fans to believe that winning isn’t about talent—it’s about who you know. The phrase “industry plant” has become a typical narrative attack, with audiences increasingly suspicious of artists and performers whose success appears to be manufactured rather than earned. This narrative affects public trust in the awards process and amplifies skepticism toward the artists themselves. 

Nepotism is another buzzword driving the narrative of favoritism and industry elitism. Audiences increasingly question whether success in Hollywood is based on talent or family connections, contributing to the belief that awards and opportunities are reserved for an exclusive inner circle rather than deserving newcomers. When checking claims regarding industry favoritism using Compass, these claims and narratives appear largely anecdotal and not backed by solid evidence. 

Narrative #4: Awards Shows Are Rigged

The idea that awards shows are rigged has gained traction, with insiders and fans questioning how winners are chosen. From accusations that secret committees control Grammy nominations to claims that Oscar winners are determined by politics rather than performance, conspiracy theories and narrative attacks surrounding awards season thrive online. Some artists have even spoken out against these institutions, further driving the belief that the system is fixed. The result? Every win is scrutinized, every snub is seen as deliberate, and the legitimacy of these accolades is continually called into question. The Grammys, in particular, have faced backlash over their secret committees and alleged backroom deals that influence results. Social media plays a huge role in fanning these suspicions, with viral moments exposing possible manipulations in the selection process.

The 2025 Grammy Awards have sparked narrative attacks and conspiracy theories, with many claiming Jay-Z rigged the show and paid off influential members of the Recording Academy to secure Beyoncé’s Album of the Year win, reinforcing suspicions that the Grammys favor industry elites. Narrative attacks and critics also argue that Beyoncé’s win was a strategic move by the Recording Academy, set in motion to appease past controversies directly related to Jay-Z’s 2024 Grammys speech, where he called out the Recording Academy by addressing systemic racism within the institution and the historical lack of recognition of black artists. The discourse surrounding Jay-Z’s 2024 speech fuels narrative attacks that claim the current 2025 Album of the Year outcome was rigged rather than a genuine recognition of the artistry of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album. These narrative attacks fill public perception about Beyoncé’s win with doubt rather than focusing on a pure celebration of her artistry, an unfortunately common outcome for performers who win prestigious awards. Checking these claims with AI-based tools like Compass can empower users with evidence-based context rather than speculative information.

Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar swept multiple categories, contributing to the speculation that the ceremonies are rigged, given his ongoing feud with Drake, who has long boycotted the Grammys and refuses to submit his work or attend. Some believe the Academy deliberately sidelined Drake in favor of Kendrick, furthering claims that the awards are politically driven rather than based on actual talent. Whether these theories hold weight or not, they highlight growing public distrust in the Grammys and the narratives that overshadow the wins and alter public perception.

Another popular mainstream artist surrounded by shifting narratives is Ariana Grande. Over 4,000 social media posts and 600,000 engagements fuel the specific narrative that Ariana Grande has been snubbed at numerous awards ceremonies due to a previous incident with the Grammy board, claiming that Grande has publicly expressed her disagreement with one of the Grammy producers and will never win a Grammy for this reason. A portion of these social media posts are associated with moderate levels of bot-like activity (13.7%) and anomalous activity (15.3%), drawing into question whether these claims are true or instead are manipulated bot-driven narrative attacks. When checking this claim with Compass, current evidence does not support these narratives.

As a self-proclaimed pop-culture fan, I have witnessed many of the most viral moments take place on television at awards ceremonies over the years. I would like to note that this year’s ‘Wicked’ Performance at the 97th Oscars featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo was incredible and seems like one of those moments that will stick around for audiences to remember for years to come.

Narrative #5: Films Originating on Streaming Platforms are Ineligible to Win Awards

The claim that films originating from streaming platforms are ineligible to win awards is not entirely true. When checked with Compass, recent data shows that streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu have been well-represented in 2025. While additional streaming platforms like MAX and Apple TV+ have gained ground at major awards shows, some believe traditional Hollywood awards shows are still reluctant to embrace streaming-based entertainment fully, highlighting an ongoing power struggle between old and new media. The rise of streaming services has disrupted the entertainment industry, and the strict eligibility criteria regarding streaming-based entertainment for prestigious awards remains a topic of debate, reinforcing the narratives that say the industry is resisting change rather than embracing innovation.

The Academy Awards actually require a theatrical run of at least seven days in select U.S. cities for a film to qualify, while the Emmys allow streaming content as long as it reaches a significant portion of the country during its eligibility window. These eligibility rules have perpetuated skepticism about whether streaming films and series are treated equally.

Narrative #6: The Oscars are a Mediocre Ceremony that Fails to Nominate and Reward Masterpieces 

A narrative of over 3,000 posts accused the Oscars of overlooking well-received streaming films and streaming shows, predicting that the ceremony would be mediocre, uninteresting, and unentertaining. Nearly 15% of engagements on social media posts reacted negatively to the Academy’s omission of Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, despite its critical and commercial success – with some declaring, “Challengers original score snub cancel the Oscars.” The film’s absence from categories such as Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Original Score led to discussions related to the Academy’s potential bias against films that combine mainstream appeal with artistic innovation, as well as the evolving criteria for cinematic excellence in the modern era. In addition, posts frequently bolstered this argument by highlighting their disbelief at the 13 Oscar nominations for Emilia Pérez, a musical thriller directed by Jacques Audiard, which has received significant backlash for its treatment of sensitive topics.

The Future of Awards Shows in the Age of Digital Narrative Attacks

The real winners and losers of awards season may not be determined by golden statues but by the narratives that dominate the conversation long before – during – and after the ceremony ends. Allegations of favoritism and claims of a rigged system continue to shape public perception, influencing how winners and nominees are perceived. While awards shows are designed to celebrate artistic achievement, they will continue to be targets of online narrative attacks aimed at manipulating public perception and stealing the show from Hollywood’s star entertainers.

Blackbird.AI’s Compass Context helps provide context and clarity to controversial claims surrounding the ceremonies. It allows users— whether you’re an industry professional, journalist, or entertainment industry fan—to evaluate the accuracy of a claim or narrative attack. Its ability to verify claims and provide contextual insights empowers users, helping them better understand the true context of any claim and the forces influencing public perception.

When social media claims about supposed favoritism and industry bias at award shows are widespread, you can easily enter URL links or specific questions into Compass to check these claims and analyze the content using a comprehensive database of verified information from trusted sources. This helps users assess online narrative attacks and social chatter surrounding Hollywood narratives with confidence.

LEARN MORE: Taylor Swift Targeted by AI-Fueled Deepfakes and Narrative Attacks

The Way Forward

As the influence of narrative attacks continues to grow, the entertainment industry must consider new ways to mitigate their effects. The way forward includes: 

• Public Awareness Campaigns on Narrative Attacks – Educate audiences on how false narratives spread and how these narratives influence public perception.
• Advanced tools like Blackbird.AI’s Compass Context – Utilize Compass to analyze and verify the emerging narratives surrounding awards season, helping to distinguish between information manipulation or misleading claims.
• Stronger Digital Forensics in Deepfake Detection and Content Authentication – Use AI-powered tools like Blackbird.AI’s Compass Vision to detect deepfakes and manipulated media before they go viral.
• Implement Proactive Reputation Management Strategies using Narrative Intelligence – Implementing proactive reputation management strategies using a narrative intelligence platform like Blackbird.AI’s Constellation can help prevent harmful narrative attacks from distorting public perception and equip studios and award organizations with the ability to counter narrative attacks before they spiral out of control.
• Shift the Spotlight Back to Artistic Achievement — Spotlighting artistic accomplishments rather than online controversy is essential to preserving the entertainment industry’s credibility.

In Hollywood, public perception can determine the success or failure of actors, filmmakers, studios, executives, and investors. Manipulated narrative attacks, viral posts, algorithm-fueled debates, deepfakes, and online speculation define how the entertainment industry is perceived. By using narrative intelligence tools like Compass Context, those engaged in awards season discourse—whether fans, critics, or industry insiders—can rely on data-driven insights rather than reactionary social media narratives. Those working within the entertainment industry—studios, executives, celebrities, and investors alike—can use narrative intelligence to protect themselves from narrative attacks that cause financial, operational, and reputational harm.

• To receive a complimentary copy of The Forrester External Threat Intelligence Landscape 2025 Report, visit here.
• To learn more about how Blackbird.AI can help you in these situations, book a demo.