This research introduces the concept of “artistic ownership,” the extent to which artists both conceive of and execute their own work, to the literature on cultural goods. Further, we document how artistic ownership impacts which goods are celebrated by critics but not preferred by consumers. Using real-world data, study 1A and 1B reveals songs performed by singer-songwriters are more likely to receive critical acclaim yet do not stand out in terms of commercial success. Study 2 reveals that film critics are more likely than filmgoers to honor movies by directors who write their own scripts. In study 3, we explain this divergence by showing experimentally how the level of an individual’s involvement throughout the creative process matters for aesthetic judgments (critics’ assessments) but not aesthetic preferences (driving consumer and thus market behavior). Study 4 reveals how perceptions of the talent, and not effort, mediates the impact of artistic ownership on aesthetic judgments.