This years Oscars Didn’t Belong to Hollywood. They Belonged to the Internet.

The biggest shift at this year’s Oscars wasn’t on stage. It was in how the night was experienced.

What was once a broadcast-led event is now driven by creators, with influencers shaping what audiences see, engage with and remember. Red carpet interviews, “get ready with me” videos and real-time reactions didn’t sit alongside the ceremony, they became the main event.

For brands, that shift is already measurable.

According to Kolsquare, the data tells a clear story. Burger King delivered one of the strongest performances of the night, not through traditional advertising, but by leaning into the conversation as it happened. Using real customer voices and reactive content, the brand saw its Instagram Earned Media Value jump from £3,400 to £48,500 on Oscars night, while TikTok rose from £850 to £33,150, an increase of more than 3,800 percent.

It wasn’t polished. That was the point.

While major players such as The Walt Disney Company and L'Oréal continued to operate through high-production campaigns, the brands that moved fastest, and felt most aligned with the moment, captured the most attention.

The same applies to talent.

Amelia Dimoldenberg emerged as one of the most effective voices on the red carpet. Her interview content cut through in a way traditional media no longer does, with a single Instagram reel featuring Ethan Hawke generating over 20 million views and £2.55 million in Earned Media Value. Her TikTok interview with the actor crossed 10 million views, numbers that rival and in some cases outperform broadcast audiences.

It reflects a wider change in influence.

Micro-influencers, those operating between 10,000 and 100,000 followers, are now being used by the majority of brands. The focus has shifted from scale to connection, with relatability delivering stronger engagement than reach alone. At the same time, certain creators now operate at a level comparable to established media platforms, holding attention at scale without the need for traditional infrastructure.

Fashion and beauty brands also moved quickly.

Content tied to red carpet moments translated directly into performance. Creator-led posts featuring Chanel, Jimmy Choo and Versace generated hundreds of thousands in EMV, reinforcing how brand visibility now depends on who is wearing it and how that moment is shared.

Behind it all is a structural shift in marketing strategy.

Kolsquare’s latest report shows that 72 percent of European brands plan to increase influencer marketing budgets in 2026, up from 54 percent the previous year. The direction is clear. Brands are no longer just buying space around cultural moments. They are trying to embed themselves within them.

That requires a different approach.

Speed matters. Tone matters. The ability to participate in a conversation, rather than control it, matters more than ever. The Oscars are still a global stage, but the narrative no longer belongs to the organisers or the broadcasters.

It belongs to the people creating the content around it.

In 2026, cultural relevance is no longer defined by where the event takes place. It is defined by how it moves online.