Currently, Hollywood's usual busy and hyped-up first week of the year has been quieted due to the omicron spike and NBC's decision not to broadcast the Golden Globes on Sunday because of ethical concerns regarding the organization that presents the awards. The AFI Awards were delayed, the Critics' Choice Awards were rescheduled, and the Palm Springs Film Festival was canceled. Additionally, many of the star-studded award contenders did not perform well at the box office. The Academy Awards are still set for March 27, with nominations to be announced on February 8. However, it is unclear what the event will look like. The organization has already postponed its annual Governors Awards, which have been honoring recipients with honorary Oscars for the past 11 years in a ceremony that is not televised. Will there be a host? Will there be a live audience? And most importantly, will the event attract viewers? The Academy brought on a producer from the film "Girls Trip" in October to lead the show, but has not shared any further information and declined to comment for this article. The upcoming year, 2022, is shaping up to be very similar to 2021. Hollywood is once again missing out on its usual season of self-congratulation, which also means that the film industry's best form of advertising is being compromised at a time when movies really need it. This could have significant impacts on the types of movies that are produced. Nancy Utley, a former co-chair of Fox Searchlight, who played a role in turning smaller prestige films like "12 Years a Slave" and "The Shape of Water" into best-picture Oscar winners over her 21-year career, noted, "For the box office - when there was a fully functioning box office - those award shows were everything." The reason to watch smaller movies there was due to the recognition received, but it is difficult to do so in the current industry climate. Many prestigious films rely on earning most of their box office revenue during the period between the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. The decline of the Golden Globes, which faced controversies involving financial misconduct, ethical issues in journalism, and lack of diversity in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, has already impacted this trend. If the awards season engine of the Hollywood hype machine weakens, it could further harm the struggling box office. The significant shift in audience behavior towards streaming services seems likely to continue, with only major blockbusters like "Spider-Man: No Way Home" attracting large numbers of theatergoers. Stephen Galloway, dean of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and former executive editor of The Hollywood Reporter, believes that the movie industry is at risk of decline as people are no longer accustomed to watching films on the big screen. He questions how long award seasons, such as the Academy Awards, can remain relevant without the support of moviegoers. The Academy Awards were established in 1929 to showcase Hollywood's successes to the world. The telecast, which had once attracted 55 million viewers, has seen a decline in numbers over the years. Last year, it hit a record low of 10.4 million viewers for a show that lacked a host, musical performances, and featured a lesser-known best picture winner in "Nomadland." Despite efforts from Hollywood to promote theatergoing as a cultural experience, including deploying top stars and directors, these attempts have not been successful. The general public is still hesitant to go back to movie theaters regularly. "No Time to Die," Daniel Craig's final film as James Bond, was postponed for more than a year due to the pandemic. When it was finally released, it only earned $160.7 million in the US and Canada, which is $40 million less than "Spectre" and $144 million less than "Skyfall." Despite positive reviews, critically acclaimed films like "Last Night in Soho," "Nightmare Alley," and "Belfast" had low box office earnings. Even with a 93 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Spielberg's "West Side Story" only made $30 million domestically. The original film made $44 million in 1961, which would be equivalent to $409 million today. A recent study shows that 49 percent of moviegoers before the pandemic are no longer purchasing tickets, with 8 percent stating they will never return. These figures are concerning for midbudget films that rely on positive reviews and publicity to attract audiences. Some believe that midbudget films, which cost between $20 million to $60 million and are not adaptations of well-known properties, may face permanent changes in the movie industry. If changes in viewing habits are permanent and award nominations and wins are no longer a big draw, films will struggle to make a profit. If audiences only want to see popular blockbusters like "Spider-Man," it's hard to convince them to also watch smaller, more artistic films like "Belfast" in theaters. This shift doesn't just impact individual movies and filmmakers, but the entire art form of cinema. "The world of 2019, in which '1917' made $160M, 'Ford v. Ferrari' made $120M, and 'Parasite' made $52M, is gone," film journalist and historian Mark Harris wrote on Twitter on Thursday, noting the lack of non-genre adult dramas cracking the $50M mark at the box office. Despite this, studios are adapting, with MGM scaling back the theatrical release of "Licorice Pizza" after observing other high-profile films struggle in wide distribution. It is also changing the release date of "Cyrano" in Britain to February to coincide with the US release, in the hopes of attracting older female moviegoers back to theaters. Sony Pictures Classics is utilizing the same strategy as in 2021, with more virtual screenings and Q&As for academy voters, as well as quicker distribution to home platforms. Their documentary "Julia" was released on premium video-on-demand during the holidays. Despite many studios holding fancy premieres and parties in December with strict COVID protocols, January has seen a cancellation or virtual shift of many awards campaigning events like screenings and parties. Billboards with the message "For your consideration" can still be seen in Los Angeles, but in-person meet-and-greets are mostly on hold. Netflix, known for limited theatrical releases and not reporting box office results, is expected to have a strong presence in the award season this year with films like "Tick, Tick ... Boom," "The Power of the Dog," and "The Lost Daughter" competing for awards. Like other studios, Netflix has also shifted all in-person events in January to virtual. Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker noted that last year was challenging, and this year is also about adapting to the current situation. Barker, speaking from Manhattan instead of Palm Springs as planned, emphasized the need to adjust to the circumstances and anticipate what the future may hold.