I get that award shows are fun, but I don't get what makes the Academy Awards the award show holy grail. It's not like we really remember who won/it matters as far as what's remembered. For the Academy Awards nominees of the 80s:
1980
Winner: Ordinary People
Most Culturally Relevant (of the five BP nominees): Raging Bull / Elephant Man
1981
Winner: Chariots of Fire
Most Culturally Relevant: Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982
Winner: Gahndi
Most Culturally Relevant: ET
1980
Winner: Terms of Endearment
Most Culturally Relevant: [same]
1984
Winner: Amadeus
Most Culturally Relevant: [same - but not particularly relevant]
1985
Winner: Out of Africa
Most Culturally Relevant: [same - but not particularly relevant]
1986
Winner: Platoon
Most Culturally Relevant: [same]
1987
Winner: The Last Emperor
Most Culturally Relevant: Fatal Attraction
1988
Winner: Rain Man
Most Culturally Relevant: [same]
1989
Winner: Driving Miss Daisy
Most Culturally Relevant: [same] or Dead Poet's Society
...the movie that won was only the film to make the largest cultural impact (of the film's nominated) four times. No one remembers what movie won, they just remember the movies that mattered and the Oscars aren't great at predicting what movie that's going to be.
1980
Winner: Ordinary People
Most Culturally Relevant (of the five BP nominees): Raging Bull / Elephant Man
1981
Winner: Chariots of Fire
Most Culturally Relevant: Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982
Winner: Gahndi
Most Culturally Relevant: ET
1980
Winner: Terms of Endearment
Most Culturally Relevant: [same]
1984
Winner: Amadeus
Most Culturally Relevant: [same - but not particularly relevant]
1985
Winner: Out of Africa
Most Culturally Relevant: [same - but not particularly relevant]
1986
Winner: Platoon
Most Culturally Relevant: [same]
1987
Winner: The Last Emperor
Most Culturally Relevant: Fatal Attraction
1988
Winner: Rain Man
Most Culturally Relevant: [same]
1989
Winner: Driving Miss Daisy
Most Culturally Relevant: [same] or Dead Poet's Society
...the movie that won was only the film to make the largest cultural impact (of the film's nominated) four times. No one remembers what movie won, they just remember the movies that mattered and the Oscars aren't great at predicting what movie that's going to be.