Eight Oscar Awards Won’t Be Broadcast Live This Year

Yet again, the Oscars have made a major change to their 94th Academy Awards. The Hollywood Reporter has reported that several of the 23 categories that were set to be presented live on the air during the telecast will not actually be presented live. This includes categories like the shorts, film editing, and more.

“When deciding how to produce the Oscars, we recognize it’s a live event television show and we must prioritize the television audience to increase viewer engagement and keep the show vital, kinetic, and relevant,” wrote David Rubin, Academy President, in a memo to all Academy voters. “This has been an important focus of discussion for quite some time. We do this while also remembering the importance of having our nominees relish a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

According to THR, the move is “already causing tension within the leadership of the Academy,” but will win more viewers in the long run. Eight awards have been cut, including documentary short, film editing, makeup/hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live action short and sound. Instead of being announced during the live telecast, they’ll be presented in the Dolby Theatre an hour before the live telecast commences, will be recorded and will then be edited into the subsequent live broadcast. The Academy first adopted this approach in 2019, abandoning it almost immediately.

The letter clarified that the “flow does not change” with this adjustment, though the presentation will become “tighter and more electric.” Still, the Academy has announced two new portions of their show this year: they’ll announce a fan favorite award and air Twitter users favorite memories from movies of the year.

“We realize these kinds of changes can prompt concern about equity, and we ask you to understand our goal has been to find a balance in which nominees, winners, members, and viewing audience all have a rewarding show experience,” the letter continues. “Moving forward we will assess this change and will continue to look for additional ways to make our show more entertaining and more thrilling for all involved, inside the Dolby Theatre and watching from home.”

The Academy has announced Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes as a trio, each set to host one hour of the program.

The 94th Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.