Maria Bakalova, from left, Andra Day and Regina King are interviewed and Marlee Matlin walks the red carpet at the Oscars on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark Terrill, Pool)
NEW YORK (AP) --
The Academy Awards television audience on ABC plunged to 9.85 million viewers, less than half of Oscars' previous low and continuing the startling trend of viewer tune out for awards shows.
The Nielsen company's preliminary estimate released Monday shows that the audience to watch "Nomadland" win best picture was 58% below last year's tally of 23.6 million, the prior low-water mark.
Producers tried a hostless event Sunday night with a small audience of nominees and guests who weren't wearing masks. But in a year where movie theaters were mostly closed due to the pandemic, people were either unfamiliar with or unexcited about movies they primarily streamed at home.
Both the Golden Globes (6.9 million viewers) and Grammy Awards (9.2 million) had record low audiences earlier this year.
Actress and comedian Rachael Harris will host the Art Directors Guild’s 29th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on Saturday, February 15, at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
The ceremony celebrates outstanding production design in film, television, commercials, music videos, and animation. This year’s event will also honor Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman with the Cinematic Imagery Award and feature Lifetime Achievement Awards for Lisa Frazza, Barbara Mesney, Dan Sweetman, and J. Dennis Washington. Legendary production designer Carl Jules Weyl will be inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame.
“I am honored to host the ADG Awards this year,” said Harris. “Production designers and their teams are the unsung heroes of film and television, creating the worlds we inhabit on screen. Their artistry and craftsmanship inspire me and I’m delighted to celebrate their incredible work.”
Harris most recently was a lead in the Disney+ anthology series “Goosebumps,” based on the best-selling books by R.L. Stine. A veteran of improvisation and comedy, she launched her career with “The Groundlings” before becoming a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” She has appeared in numerous TV series including “Friends,” “Frasier,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Modern Family,” and “New Girl.” Fans will also recognize her for her roles in “Suits” and as a series regular on the hit show “Lucifer.”
On the big screen, Harris’ credits include “The Hangover,” the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” trilogy and Christopher Guest’s celebrated “Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind” and “For Your Consideration.”
Her performance in the indie film “Natural Selection”... Read More
