Cooler but still well above normal this week

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Next year's Academy Awards ceremony will be postponed for two months, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of Feb. 28, 2021, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and ABC announced the televised ceremony will now be held on April 25, 2021.

"For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year," Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement.

"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."

 for the 2021 Oscars and awards season. Now, in order to qualify for awards, feature films must be released between Jan. 1, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2020 For international and animated features, documentaries, and short films, the deadline is Dec. 1, 2020. And submissions for best picture, original score and song and other general entries is now Jan. 15, 2021.

 will also be delayed from December of this year to April 2021. It will feature six floors of exhibition and event spaces, a restaurant, museum store and two theaters. "With the unprecedented and devastating pandemic happening around the world and our commitment first and foremost to the health and safety of our visitors and staff, we have made the difficult decision to wait a few more months to open our doors," said Bill Kramer, director of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in a statement. "Thankfully, with COVID-19 safety protocols in place, exhibitions continue to be installed."

Next Fall's Governor's Awards gala is also being moved to a yet unspecified date.

The Academy recently announced initiatives for future Oscars awards, including a task force with the Producers Guild of America to develop 

 standards for Oscars eligibility by July 31, 2020. The changes include setting the Best Picture category at 10 nominees and offering online screening rooms for members to view films released year-round. The Board of Governors now have term limits, and new invited members include director Ava Duvernay, who has spoken out for more inclusion in Hollywood.  

Arts and Culture

Health

COVID-19

Mandalit del Barco

Author

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has delayed the 2021 Oscar ceremony from February to April of next year because of COVID-19.

Oscars postponed two months because of pandemic

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox