People’s Choice

The Voice of the Mainstream

The term “People’s Choice” signifies that the recipient of an award or honor has been chosen not by a panel of experts, critics, or industry insiders, but by a popular vote open to the general public. It is a declaration of mainstream popularity and commercial appeal, standing in contrast to awards that recognize artistic merit or technical achievement as determined by a select few. The underlying principle is democratic: the most-liked, most-watched, and most-talked-about works are the ones that deserve to be celebrated.

The People’s Choice Awards

The most prominent embodiment of this concept is the People’s Choice Awards, an American awards show that has been running since 1975. The show presents awards across movies, television, and music, and its entire slate of winners is determined through online fan voting.

• History and Function: The show was founded on the premise that the public’s opinion was a valid and important measure of cultural success. It uses national polling and online voting to determine nominees and winners, effectively acting as a populist alternative to more exclusive, juried awards like the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys.
• Film Categories: The movie awards at the People’s Choice Awards are broken down into broad, genre-based categories that reflect how mainstream audiences consume films, such as “The Movie of the Year,” “The Action Movie of the Year,” and “The Comedy Movie of the Year.” This differs from the craft-based categories (e.g., Best Cinematography, Best Editing) found at traditional awards shows.
• Significance: A win at the People’s Choice Awards is a powerful marketing tool for a studio. It provides an official, audience-voted seal of approval that can be used in trailers and posters to signify a film’s broad appeal. It is often a celebration of the year’s biggest blockbusters and most popular stars, rather than smaller, critically acclaimed indie films.

Broader Application

Beyond the specific awards show, many film festivals have adopted a “People’s Choice Award” or “Audience Award.” The most famous of these is the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) People’s Choice Award. Winning this particular award is considered a major honor and is often a strong early predictor of success at the Academy Awards. Films like Green Book, Nomadland, and Slumdog Millionaire all won the TIFF People’s Choice Award before going on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. In this context, the “People’s Choice” is a powerful indicator of both popular appeal and critical potential.