Oscars 2021 Postponed due to Coronavirus Pandemic?

The Coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to a standstill and many nations are trying their best to combat this virus. The impact has brought down the global economy as many countries are trying their best to recover from the loss inflicted by COVID-19. This year there has been an unprecedented fall in a number of releases due to the spread of the virus.  

There are plans to postpone the Academy Awards ceremony next year by four months, for the first time in 93 years.

A report from The Sun stated that organizers are in talks to push back the ceremony, which was scheduled to be held on February 28 next year. It might be pushed back to May or June.

Many Hollywood studios have already been informed about the longer release window for their films to be eligible for nomination. 

For the uninitiated, the Oscar season usually begins after the summer, with studios releasing their awards season contenders in November and December. The Academy members vote in January.

Several projects have been pushed back as cinemas remain shut. 

The report quoted a source saying, "The ongoing coronavirus crisis has caused waves in the industry and has decimated plans for so many releases this year. The Oscars organizers have been in talks for weeks about whether the ceremony can go ahead given so many releases have been pushed back."

The source continued: "There would be a mutiny if changes weren't made and the industry could be totally ravaged if film studios held back their offerings until the 2022 ceremony to be eligible.

What they're proposing is pushing back the ceremony, which was going to take place on February 28, to either late May or early June. Doing this means films forced to postpone their release dates can put them out later this year or in early 2021 knowing they will still be eligible for the Oscars."

The source continued: "There would be a mutiny if changes weren't made and the industry could be totally ravaged if film studios held back their offerings until the 2022 ceremony to be eligible.

What they're proposing is pushing back the ceremony, which was going to take place on February 28, to either late May or early June. Doing this means films forced to postpone their release dates can put them out later this year or in early 2021 knowing they will still be eligible for the Oscars."

While the organizers have decided to postpone the Academy Awards, there might be a slight change in the rules as well. 

Last month, the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences announced a change in rules and eligibility requirements for the 2021 Oscars, making movies of streaming services eligible to win the golden statuettes.

The Academy tweaked its Oscar eligibility rules in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The change is not permanent and will apply to films released this year. The Academy also shared that it will eliminate an Oscar category. The sound mixing and sound editing categories will be combined into one award, reducing the total number of categories presented on the show to 23.