10 Ways that The Oscars Will Be Different
The 2021 Oscars Ceremony will be different in various ways, ranging from rule changes in eligibility to the formation of a new category to temporary changes being made in response the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. One of these new changes for The Oscars that’s featured in this article will be in effect in the year of 2024.
Now, with all of that information being said, let’s take a look down below and check out 9 Ways In Which That The 2021 Oscars Ceremony Will Be Different:
1. The New Date of The 2021 Oscars Ceremony:
Traditionally, The Oscars Ceremony is held on the last Sunday of February. Originally, The 93rd Annual Oscars Ceremony was scheduled to be held on February 28, 2021. However, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which had a dramatic impact on the entertainment and movie industries, will now take place on April 25, 2021.
Excluding the years where the Oscars were pushed back a week later due to the Winter Olympics, this date change is only the fourth time that the Oscars ceremony has ever been delayed: The 10th Oscars Ceremony in 1938 was delayed by a week due the L.A. flooding; the 40th Oscars Ceremony in 1968 was postponed by two days due to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and the 53rd Oscars Ceremony in 1981 was held a day later as a result of the attempted assassination of then-President Ronald Reagan.
2. The Eligibility Period for Films To Receive a Nomination For This Year’s Oscars Ceremony:
As I said earlier, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, has had a huge and dramatic impact on the entertainment and movie industries. Movie theaters have closed and lost tons of revenue due to social distancing measures. Productions for both movies and television series have had to shut down due to positive coronavirus tests and have had strict protocols in place for the duration of filming. Many in the entertainment industry have also lost jobs.
Traditionally, the eligibility period for films to qualify to be nominated for The Academy Awards each year is from January 1 to December 31st of each calendar year. However, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Academy announced that the eligibility period for feature films will be extended by two months. Hence, the eligibility period for the 93rd Annual Oscars Ceremony will consist of films that were released from January 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021.
3. The Historic Mark Regarding The Eligibility Period:
With the eligibility period being extended for this year’s Oscars ceremony, it will be the first time since the 6th Academy Awards Ceremony (held in 1934), that films released in two different calendar years will be eligible for award consideration in the same ceremony.
4. Films Won’t Be Required To Have a Theatrical Run:
Besides being released within a calendar year, to qualify for the Oscars any year, feature films, according to The Academy’s website, must “be shown in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County for a theatrical qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days, during which period screenings must occur at least three times daily.”
However, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, The Academy announced in April that for this year only, “films that had a previously planned theatrical release but are initially made available on a commercial streaming or VOD service may qualify.”
5. The New Rules for The Best Original Score Category Part 1:
Another one of the changes made for the Oscars this year includes the revision of the rules for the Best Original Score Category. The new rules now require that that a film’s score must include a minimum of 60% original music in order to qualify for a potential Best Original Score nomination.
6. The New Rules for Best Original Score Category Part 2:
In continuation of the changes to the rules for the Best Original Score Category, Franchise films and/or sequel films must have a minimum of 80% new music in order to qualify for a potential Best Original Score Nomination for The Oscars.
7. The Voting Process for Best International Film:
In the past, members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Also known as “The Academy”) were only allowed to vote in the final round of voting for which International Film they liked the most for the Best International Film Award. Now, for the first time in Oscars history, all members of The Academy will now be able to vote in the category’s preliminary round. According to Town & Country Magazine, “[Academy members who are] interested will have to opt-in and adhere to a “minimum viewing requirement” to participate.
8.The Merging of The Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing Categories:
Another one of the major changes to this year’s Oscars ceremony that’s not related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is the merging of the The Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing Categories.
During The Academy’s Board of Governors Meeting on April 28, 2020, The Academy, according to Deadline, voted to combine to the Best Sound Mixing and The Best Sound Editing Categories into a single Best Sound Category. One of the major reasons for this decision was due to raised concerns by the Sound Branch of The Academy that was too much overlap between the two categories. Deadline also notes that another reason for the decision was due to the fact that past few years produced the same film winning both categories. In addition, the decision reduces the total number of award categories for The Oscars from 24 to 23.
9. Screening Rules:
In addition to allowing feature films initially made available on a commercial streaming or VOD service, the Academy also clarified that films shown at drive-in theaters will eligible for consideration for this year’s Oscars Ceremony.
With all of these announced changes for the 93rd Academy Awards who do you think will win the top awards at this year’s Oscars ceremony? Be sure to let us know who you think will win the top Oscars down below in the comments section!
Featured Image Source: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a32314940/oscars-2021-changes/
