![The Spirit Awards tent](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/spirit_awards_tent_2.jpg?w=1296&h=730&crop=1)
The Film Independent Spirit Awards is delaying its ceremony date due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The awards show, which honors the best in independent film, will now take place on Saturday, April 24, 2021 — the day before the Oscars ceremony (which was re-dated on Monday), per longtime tradition — and will also adopt the same extended eligibility window that the Oscars adopted on Monday.
The Spirit Awards was originally scheduled for Feb. 27, 2021.
“The Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place on Saturday, April 24, 2021,” Josh Welsh, the president of Film Independent, said in a statement. “Additionally, we will recognize films that were released between Jan. 1, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021 in acknowledgement of the unique challenges the world of cinema, and the world as a whole, is currently experiencing.”
Last year’s best feature Spirit Award went to The Farewell, which was not even nominated for the best picture Oscar. But in five of the last 10 years, the winners of the former and the latter have corresponded — The Artist (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013), Birdman (2014), Spotlight (2015) and Moonlight (2016).
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