Are Award Shows Even Relevant Anymore?

So, I was thinking the other day that I really need to see all of the movies nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards (1 down, 4 to go).  But to be honest with you, besides the one movie I have already seen (Slumdog Millionaire…rush right out & see it, trust me) none of them are really calling me out to the theatre.  They are all just a little glum.  And I don't know, but it seems like right now we might just need something other than glum.  I'm not saying that we need more inconsequential fluff (like the horribly bad The House Bunny that I mistakenly subjected myself to last weekend), but does it all have to be so dire?  Can we have a movie that is award-worthy, yet doesn't make you want to crawl under a rock for a few days & cry?  I remember a few years back people raved about Mystic River & particularly Sean Penn's performance.  I was so disturbed by that movie, that frankly I wish I hadn't seen it.  I still have not seen Schindler's List for that same reason.

All of this is to say that I wonder if award shows (particularly The Golden Globes & The Academy Awards) are truly relevant anymore if they can't drum-up interest in the very movies they are promoting.  Besides Slumdog Millionaire, no other movie nominated for best picture this year has seen a marked increase in ticket sales since the nominations were announced.  And personally I think that Slumdog's boost has more to do with word-of-mouth than any award nom.

So what do you think?  Are award shows relevant?  Do they help you decide the movies that you watch?  Or do you rely more on other factors such as word-of-mouth or good reviews?