No Oscar nods for Amazon this year, but the company is among tech targets from host Conan O’Brien
Amazon has a strong track record of success at the Academy Awards, receiving dozens of Oscar nominations and a number of wins for its studio business over the past nine years.
Amazon MGM Studios is shut out of the race this year, but the tech giant is still mentioned in Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue on Sunday night.
“Amazon Studios didn’t get any nominations this year,” O’Brien said (6:44 mark in the video below). “Yes. Also, exclude: Walmart, Alibaba, and Chewy. Why does the website I order toilet paper from win multiple Oscars!?”
Amazon’s rise from an e-commerce juggernaut to a real Hollywood player began in earnest more than 10 years ago, and it was the first streaming service to win an Oscar in 2017, when the studio took home three awards.
Sunday wasn’t the company’s first Oscar win for O’Brien. Last year, the manager made a joke about Amazon’s takeover of the James Bond franchise and the arrival of founder Jeff Bezos at an event at Amazon’s box.
Sunday’s show was full of technical references, including how artificial intelligence could replace the human creators behind the animation, and a look at how classic films can be cut for smartphone production.
O’Brien shot another broadcaster joked about Netflix and CEO Ted Sarandos, who was there. “This is the first time you are in the theater!” O’Brien said, before mocking Sarandos’ take (below) on why people flock to such a place.
In an effort to preserve old films in the smartphone generation, O’Brien revealed a studio called Ventura Crossroads, which is committed to “making films much longer and much smaller.”
It is not easy to reach a small audience addicted to the screens, especially with the broadcast television event dedicated to films they have not seen in the theater. O’Brien lowkey tried anyway.
The Oscars are moving to YouTube in 2029 and O’Brien showed what that might look like to viewers who aren’t used to such sudden commercial interruptions.
And finally, Oscar nominated Leonardo DiCaprio – “King of Memes” – has done it again, and again, with a little help from O’Brien.
