Editing Academy Award for Best Picture (section)

=== Diversity criticisms ===
{{Further information|Brokeback Mountain#Best Picture controversy|Crash (2004 film)#Oscar controversy|Green Book (film)#Criticism from Shirley's relatives}}

In general, the awardees of that category have been criticized for disproportionately recognizing films about white men over those of women or non-white people.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 2015 Oscar nominations in two words: 'Racist,' 'Sexist' |website=[[Los Angeles Daily News]] |date=January 15, 2015 |url=http://www.dailynews.com/events/20150115/the-2015-oscar-nominations-in-two-words-racist-sexist |access-date=December 28, 2024 |archive-date=August 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818185239/http://www.dailynews.com/events/20150115/the-2015-oscar-nominations-in-two-words-racist-sexist |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Accusations of race relations and homophobia ====
In opposition, the Academy's decision to favor Best Picture winning films with depiction of race relations among people of color (most primarily ''[[Driving Miss Daisy]]'', ''[[Crash (2004 film)|Crash]]'' and ''[[Green Book (film)|Green Book]]'') was heavily criticized; all winners labeled are directed by white filmmakers. This led to significant backlash over racism against the Academy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=2023-03-10 |title=21 Controversial Oscar Winners: Why 'Green Book,' 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and More Ignited Backlash |url=https://variety.com/lists/oscars-controversial-winners/driving-miss-daisy-2/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2005, ''[[Brokeback Mountain]]'' losing the Best Picture to ''[[Crash (2004 film)|Crash]]'' was heavily criticized, with some critics such as [[Kenneth Turan]] accusing the Academy members of homophobia and benefitting from making a non-groundbreaking choice in ''Crash'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Turan |first=Kenneth |date=March 5, 2006 |title=Breaking no ground: Why 'Crash' won, why 'Brokeback' lost and how the Academy chose to play it safe |url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/oscars/env-turan5mar05,0,5359042.story |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060326203621/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/oscars/env-turan5mar05%2C0%2C5359042.story |archive-date=March 26, 2006 |access-date=May 23, 2009 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |authorlink=Kenneth Turan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=April 16, 2009 |title=Maybe Crash's upset at the Oscars shouldn't have been such a surprise? |url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/04/maybe-crashs-upset-at-the-oscars-shouldnt-have-been-such-a-surprise.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113010233/http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/04/maybe-crashs-upset-at-the-oscars-shouldnt-have-been-such-a-surprise.html |archive-date=January 13, 2012 |access-date=May 23, 2009 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> considered as one of the most notable Oscars upsets.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Horn |first1=John |last2=King |first2=Susan |date=March 6, 2006 |title='Crash' Named Best Picture in Upset Over 'Brokeback' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-06-et-oscarmain6-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328053830/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-06-et-oscarmain6-story.html |archive-date=March 28, 2022 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Zauzmer |first=Ben |date=April 23, 2021 |title=The Math Behind Oscars' Biggest Best Picture Upsets Ever |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/oscar-upsets-biggest-ever-4171178/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117004824/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/oscar-upsets-biggest-ever-4171178/ |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bleiler |first=David |date=March 10, 2006 |title=Did Homophobia Steal 'Brokeback' Oscar? |url=http://articles.philly.com/2006-03-10/news/25415538_1_british-film-awards-10-best-lists-directors-guild |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003220456/http://articles.philly.com/2006-03-10/news/25415538_1_british-film-awards-10-best-lists-directors-guild |archive-date=October 3, 2015 |access-date=September 30, 2020 |website=Philly}}</ref> After announcing the award, presenter [[Jack Nicholson]] was caught on camera mouthing the word "whoa" out of apparent surprise at the result.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2011 |title=Crash Wins Best Picture: 2006 Oscars |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfQs7WbVse8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818162327/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfQs7WbVse8 |archive-date=August 18, 2023 |access-date=August 15, 2023 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> The film's use of moral quandary as a storytelling medium was widely reported as ironic, since many saw it as the "safe" alternative to ''Brokeback Mountain'', which is about a [[gay]] relationship (the other nominees, ''[[Good Night, and Good Luck]]'', ''[[Capote (film)|Capote]]'', and ''[[Munich (2005 film)|Munich]]'' also tackle heavy subjects of [[McCarthyism]], homosexuality, and [[terrorism]], respectively).<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Sullivan |first=Kevin P. |date=March 2, 2018 |title=Why 'Crash' beat 'Brokeback Mountain' for Best Picture |url=https://ew.com/oscars/2018/03/02/crash-brokeback-mountain-best-picture-oscars/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112213819/https://ew.com/oscars/2018/03/02/crash-brokeback-mountain-best-picture-oscars/ |archive-date=January 12, 2023 |access-date=January 12, 2023 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |language=en}}</ref>

Though there have been exceptions like [[Barry Jenkins]]'s ''[[Moonlight (2016 film)|Moonlight]]'', films like ''[[Precious (film)|Precious]]'' and ''[[Get Out]]'' have been seen as potentially being shut out of the Best Picture race because of older and white Academy voters choosing not to see them.<ref>{{cite news |last=Buchanan |first=Kyle |author2=Stacey Wilson Hunt |author3=Chris Lee |date=Feb 2018 |title=We Polled New Oscar Voters: How Are They Changing the Way the Academy Thinks? |url=http://www.vulture.com/2018/02/how-new-oscar-voters-are-changing-the-way-the-academy-thinks.html |access-date=January 9, 2020 |work=[[New York (magazine)|Vulture]]}}</ref> From 2018 onwards, the Academy made an effort to add more younger, female, non-white and non-American voters, and to create a non-voting "emeritus" status for people who had not worked in the film industry after a certain length of time, in order to diversify and rejuvenate their voter bloc.