The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the 93rd Academy Awards' postponement – the event will not be held on February 28 as planned, but on April 25 instead. The cause of the delayed scheduling is the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout the history of the Oscars, the Academy Awards ceremony has never been presented so late.
It's true! Next year's #Oscars will happen on April 25, 2021.
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) June 15, 2020
Here's what else you need to know:
- The eligibility period for the Oscars will be extended to February 28, 2021
- Nominations will be announced on March 15, 2021
- @AcademyMuseum will open on April 30, 2021 pic.twitter.com/cTsqOfsf8k
The Academy also postponed all dates regarding the selection of nominees, voting, and filing applications from filmmakers. Any picture that came out from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, can apply for the award. The application deadline is January 15.
"Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone's control," said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.
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However, this is not the first delay in the history of the Oscars. Before this, the ceremony was postponed three times: for the first time in 1938 due to a flood in Los Angeles, then in 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King, and again in 1981 after an attempt to murder President Ronald Reagan.
During the announcement of the postponement, the American Film Academy made several changes to the basic rules, including changing the number of Oscar nominees for the Best Picture category from ten to five.
In addition, other entertainment industry awards shows are also in flux due to COVID-19. The 74th Tony Awards, which was scheduled to be held on June 7, has been postponed. But the 72nd Emmy Awards is still holding onto September 20. The BAFTAs delayed from February 14, 2021, to April 11. And the 78th Golden Globes also postponed its show.
