The Academy is making a bold move in an effort to rebound from its worst ratings of all time, cutting eight of its 23 categories from the ...
The Academy is making a bold move in an effort to rebound from its worst ratings of all time, cutting eight of its 23 categories from the live broadcast.
The eight categories are Best Documentary Short, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup/Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Animated Short, Best Live-Action Short and Best Sound, though fans will see the awards for these and every other category handed out on Oscar Sunday.
These eight categories will instead be handed out at the Dolby Theater one hour before the live telecast, and then be edited into the live broadcast, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Bold: The Academy is making a bold move in an effort to rebound from its worst ratings of all time, cutting eight of its 23 categories from the live broadcast
Edited: These eight categories will instead be handed out at the Dolby Theater one hour before the live telecast, and then be edited into the live broadcast, according to The Hollywood Reporter
This isn't the first time the Academy has toyed with removing some of its categories from the telecast.
The Academy announced in August 2018 that they would not broadcast some of the winners live, but the news was met with such immediate backlash it was quickly abandoned.
Both the canceled move in 2018 and this new shift in the broadcast was approved by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences leadership in the Awards Committee.
Not the first: This isn't the first time the Academy has toyed with removing some of its categories from the telecast
Approved: Both the canceled move in 2018 and this new shift in the broadcast was approved by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences leadership in the Awards Committee
A letter sent to Academy members from Academy President David Rubin on Tuesday clarified, 'They will not be presented in the pre-show nor on the red carpet, as some have speculated. Instead, the in-person ceremony at the Dolby Theatre will begin one hour earlier to present eight awards categories before the live telecast starts.'
'Those presentations will then be edited by our creative and production teams and will be folded seamlessly into the live televised show,' the letter added.
The letter reiterated that, 'all the nominees in ALL awards categories will be identified on air and ALL winners’ acceptance speeches will be featured on the live broadcast.'
Edited: 'Those presentations will then be edited by our creative and production teams and will be folded seamlessly into the live televised show,' the letter added
'Every awarded filmmaker and artist in every category will still have the celebratory ‘Oscar moment’ they deserve on the stage of the Dolby, facing an enrapt audience,' the letter added.
The letter also claimed that, for the viewing audience at home, the show will, 'become tighter and more electric with this new cadence, and the live broadcast should end – yes, with the Best Picture category – at the three-hour mark.'
Rubin added the Academy's goal is, 'to find a balance in which nominees, winners, members, and viewing audience all have a rewarding show experience.'
Oscar moment: 'Every awarded filmmaker and artist in every category will still have the celebratory ‘Oscar moment’ they deserve on the stage of the Dolby, facing an enrapt audience,' the letter added
The news comes just days after The Academy announced that Regina King, Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer will host the 94th Oscars, airing Sunday, March 27.
The news comes just months after the 93rd Academy Awards sunk to a new low with just 10.4 million viewers tuning in.
That represented a 56% drop from the ratings in February 2020, when 23.6 million viewers tuned in, which was then also an all-time low.
New low: The news comes just months after the 93rd Academy Awards sunk to a new low with just 10.4 million viewers tuning in
The news didn't sit well with many fans on Twitter, with many fans bashing The Academy for not focusing on the actual movies they're rewarding.
'Amazing to me that @TheAcademy has such contempt for filmmakers who aren't actors or directors,' said Overhated podcast host Scott Weinberg.
Amazing: 'Amazing to me that @TheAcademy has such contempt for filmmakers who aren't actors or directors,' said Overhated podcast host Scott Weinberg
@DRMovieNews1 added, 'Wouldn't it be nice if the Oscars cut out the hour of lame comedy sketches and musical performances and instead celebrated every single winner of AN ACADEMY AWARD equally and included more yearly film celebration/reels/tributes? ... and they wonder why their ratings are terrible.'
New York Times writer Kyle Buchanan shared an excerpt from The Hollywood Reporter piece about keeping the show at three hours, adding, 'The Oscars' obsessive pursuit of the 3-hour mark has never once made the show better.'
The New Yorker's Emily Nussbaum suggested, 'Just give the Oscars to five Hollywood randos and then have them prove their worthiness, live, on Oscar night, Willy Wonka style.'
Cut: @DRMovieNews1 added, 'Wouldn't it be nice if the Oscars cut out the hour of lame comedy sketches and musical performances and instead celebrated every single winner of AN ACADEMY AWARD equally and included more yearly film celebration/reels/tributes? ... and they wonder why their ratings are terrible'
Never: New York Times writer Kyle Buchanan shared an excerpt from The Hollywood Reporter piece about keeping the show at three hours, adding, 'The Oscars' obsessive pursuit of the 3-hour mark has never once made the show better'
Randos: The New Yorker's Emily Nussbaum suggested, 'Just give the Oscars to five Hollywood randos and then have them prove their worthiness, live, on Oscar night, Willy Wonka style'
AwardsWatch's Erik Anderson revealed the full letter by David Rubin, while confirming the categories that won't be awarded live.
Variety's Tomris Laffly quote-retweeted the letter, adding, 'No, you clearly have NOT listened to the film community and all those who love the #Oscars. And f**k your network partner. This is pathetic.'
SlashFilm's Josh Spiegel added, 'The thing I love most about this famous awards show is the part where they don't actually HAND OUT AWARDS.'
Letter: AwardsWatch's Erik Anderson revealed the full letter by David Rubin, while confirming the categories that won't be awarded live
Pathetic: Variety's Tomris Laffly quote-retweeted the letter, adding, 'No, you clearly have NOT listened to the film community and all those who love the #Oscars. And f**k your network partner. This is pathetic'
Awards: SlashFilm's Josh Spiegel added, 'The thing I love most about this famous awards show is the part where they don't actually HAND OUT AWARDS'
Author and journalist Mark Harris added, 'Ugh, this is pathetic. Somebody please save the Oscars from the people who think they know how to save the Oscars.'
Next Best Picture's Matt Neglia created a hashtag for fans to air their grievances about this: #PresentAll23, adding, 'I can’t believe we have to do this again but here we are because ABC clearly doesn’t give a shit about those who actually watch the show & nominees and would rather chase an audience who are never going to care as much as we do Please tweet: #PresentAll23.'
Danny Bowes tweeted, 'The Oscars: "Why don't people watch The Oscars?" Also the Oscars: "You know what the problem is with our show about movies? Movies."'
Save: Author and journalist Mark Harris added, 'Ugh, this is pathetic. Somebody please save the Oscars from the people who think they know how to save the Oscars'
Hashtag: Next Best Picture's Matt Neglia created a hashtag for fans to air their grievances about this: #PresentAll23, adding, 'I can’t believe we have to do this again but here we are because ABC clearly doesn’t give a shit about those who actually watch the show & nominees and would rather chase an audience who are never going to care as much as we do Please tweet: #PresentAll23'
Movies: Danny Bowes tweeted, 'The Oscars: "Why don't people watch The Oscars?" Also the Oscars: "You know what the problem is with our show about movies? Movies"'
In charge: Filmmaker Jessica Ellis tweeted, 'If I were in charge of the Oscars I would cut the things that aren't giving Oscars but especially the part where accountants stand on stage with suitcases for a while'
Enjoying: @maddiewhittle tweeted, 'Anecdotally, it sure seems like those of us who like watching the Oscars have been enjoying the show less and less in recent years, while those of us who don't like watching the Oscars continue to not enjoy the show at all'
Waste: Zoe Rose Bryant poked fun at the Oscars Fan Favorite category, which Cinderella is currently leading in
Not again: Will Mavity poked fun at the Oscars' 2018 debunked decision
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