Oscars: The Academy Issues New Rules, Regulations And Campaign Guidelines

One of the most prestigious Hollywood awards ceremonies — the Oscars is heading toward big changes and rule reversals. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) presented the 96th Academy Awards this year, held in Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles on March 10. Ahead of its 97th edition, scheduled to take place on March 2, 2025, the AMPAS has unveiled some revised regulations and campaign guidelines, including certain alterations to special honours presented during the Governors Awards ceremony and Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony annually. Here is a detailed overview of what has changed.

According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, films will now have to be screened for a minimum of one week in a few chosen cities, such as Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Atlanta, and, recently added, Dallas-Fort Worth. Films must also adhere to higher theatrical requirements in a number of US markets and foreign regions. The amalgamation of the international feature and animated feature divisions is another noteworthy change in the updated rule charts. Foreign-submitted animated feature films are now eligible for consideration in both categories as long as they tick off all the right boxes in the eligibility criteria.

Music composers will benefit from the decision as well, claims The Hollywood Reporter. Instead of a shortlist of 15 titles, the best original score category will now have 20. Additionally, if three music composers are able to make major contributions to a film’s soundtrack, they will be bagging individual Oscar statuettes. This marks a departure from previous rules that required composers to submit as a group. It will now be necessary for writers to provide a finalised shooting script to be considered for the Oscars for a best-adapted screenplay or best original screenplay.

There are also changes being made to the special awards category that are given out during the Governors Awards ceremony. The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award will now be presented as an Oscar statuette rather than a bust, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award will now recognise humanitarian initiatives that improve human welfare and redress injustices. Two unique awards that were given out during the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards have been renamed.