The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Monday that the 93rd Oscars ceremony will be held on Sunday, April 25th, 2021 — a later date in the year than usual, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The show, which was originally scheduled to air February 28th on ABC, will be extending its eligibility deadlines because of the pause on theatrical releases during the pandemic. Rather than the standard December 31st deadline for eligible films, a feature film must now have a qualifying release date between January 1st, 2020, and February 28th, 2021. Submission deadlines for special categories have also shifted; a complete list of updated rules and deadlines is available on the Oscars website.
“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. 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,” Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement. “This coming Oscars and the opening of our new museum will mark a historic moment, gathering movie fans around the world to unite through cinema.”
Additionally, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, initially scheduled to open on December 14th, 2020, is now set to open on April 30th, 2021.
