A new survey shows Spider-Man: No Way Home as the frontrunner for the Oscars Fan Favorite award, beating Dune, Encanto, and Don't Look Up.

A new survey shows that Spider-Man: No Way Home is the most likely contender for the first-ever Oscar Fan Favorite award. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences recently launched the #OscarsFanFavorite initiative to give general audiences a vote in the ceremony. Twitter users can use the hashtag to vote for their favorite movies of 2021. Fans can also vote by going to oscarsfanfavorite.com. The film that receives the most fan votes by March 3 will be recognized during the Oscars broadcast on March 27. 

While it is expected that Spider-Man: No Way Home could take home the golden statuette due to popularity among critics and audiences alike, the award still seemed to be up in the air. The Fan Favorite category has not been a widely acclaimed move by the media and Academy members alike. Many call it a ploy to appeal to younger audiences or give awards to movies that aren’t considered “Oscar Material." With fans pouring into the internet to express their negative reactions to the category, the critically panned Cinderella starring Camila Cabello took the top spot, prompting audiences to consider its legitimacy. The campaign to make Cinderella the winner might have made Spidey fans worried, but new developments show that might not be the case. 

Variety reports a recent Morning Consult survey showed Spider-Man as the clear winner, with 26% of adults saying it was their favorite film of 2021. No Way Home doubled the number of votes of its nearest contender, Disney’s Encanto. Morning Consult conducted the survey on February 19 and 20 using a sample of 2,210 adults. Following Spider-Man comes Encanto with 14%, Dune with 8%, and Don’t Look Up with 6%. 

The Sony/Marvel Studios production was the highest-grossing film of 2021 but earned only one visual effects nomination. The survey raises hope for Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Oscar chances with no mention of Cinderella. The winner will be announced during the live telecast, and three lucky voters will be selected to attend next year’s award ceremony. Spider

While the survey clearly indicates that Spider-Man: No Way Home is the 2021 movie-going audience’s preferred and most popular pick, it is not an official representation of the actual votes on Twitter and Oscar’s page. With many fan campaigns for movies like Cinderella and voters panning the Fan Favorite category, the race still seems uncertain. If the race is taken seriously, Spider-Man: No Way Home might be the clear winner. Fans will have to wait until March 27 for the exciting announcement.