At one time or another everyone has the dream of being famous. Maybe standing in front a mirror and practicing the speech you would give when you were given an award on television. Every year we watch performers make their way on stage at the Tony’s, the Oscar’s, or the Grammy’s to accept their awards. Since 1929, award shows have been televised to reward the rich, famous, and beautiful. Although many think of them as being a popularity contest, they really do more good than harm.

For young kids, when they watch the people they look up to making accomplishments like winning “Best Actress” or “Album of the Year”, it can help to motivate them. It makes young actors or singers want to continue to work at their craft so that they have the same opportunity to one day win an award too. Others enjoy watching award shows simply to see how Hollywood’s finest interact with one another, or because they are waiting for something crazy or controversial to happen to tweet about the next morning.

Most major award shows also shine light on behind the scenes stuff in film, television, and music. The Oscar’s have awards for best director, best scoring, and best costume design. The Tony’s also have awards to recognize best set design, best choreography, and best sound design. Not everyone that wants to enter the entertainment industry wants to be a performer, so for the people that want to work behind the scenes, it can also help show them that their hard work will not go unnoticed, and that they too have the opportunity to be recognized.

Some will say that award shows are just a way to glorify people in Hollywood, or to watch famous people sit with overpriced dresses and suits while sharing fake smiles. Other’s think that a lot of times award shows are unfair or just a popularity contest. At the 2014 Oscar’s, “Frozen” won the award for best animated film, as voted on by members of the Academy. Many people were upset about the film’s win because after the award show some members of the Academy admitted that they had not seen any of the films in the category, and only voted for the one they had heard the most about.

Though award shows over the years may have taken a light of being more about the celebrities than the arts themselves, award shows overall help give recognition to the men and women who work hard both on screen and off. They also help to motivate people who aspire to one day win the awards they see being given.