Major Academy Awards Change Will Finally Address Longtime Complaints from Voters!

The Academy has introduced significant changes to their rules, which will significantly affect the way the Oscars are handled. To enhance the integrity and efficiency of the Oscars process, the Academy’s Board of Governors endorsed a new rule set on April 21 that affects the voting procedure.

As a supporter, I’m sharing that, following new guidelines by the Academy, members are now obliged to watch every film nominated in their respective categories before they can cast their votes in the decisive rounds for the Oscars. This shift is substantial, as stated in an official press release from the Academy, which specifies that “members must now view all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round of the Oscars.

Members Previously Were Not Required to See all the Nominated Films

Before the change, voters at the Academy weren’t obligated to watch all movies before casting their votes. Nevertheless, there were already guidelines in place for categories like Documentaries and Short Films. An Academy representative explained to Entertainment Weekly that currently, viewing is monitored through an internal service called Academy Screening Room, where members can view films prior to voting.

The representative mentioned that there’s another form called ‘seen elsewhere’ which participants must submit prior to final voting. If a title isn’t viewed, access to the corresponding award category will appear grayed out. As for the specific categories, viewing is still necessary during prelims and nominations as usual. However, this year, viewing will be required during final voting for all categories and all participating members.

Members Admit to Not Seeing all the Movies

For quite some time, it has been a common discussion among Academy members that they haven’t watched all the movies before the voting process starts. Even this year, some Academy voters admitted they hadn’t seen all the films prior to the awards ceremony. One director, speaking anonymously to Entertainment Weekly before the 2025 Oscars, expressed regret as he hadn’t yet seen “Dune” or “I’m Still Here.” He managed to watch the first “Dune,” but found it too lengthy and wasn’t keen on spending another three hours on it. However, he mentioned that there was still time for re-evaluation, but he had a difficult time with it.

More Changes Coming for the 2026 Oscars

The Academy is making additional adjustments, such as setting guidelines for the recently established Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting. For this category, an initial round of voting will narrow down the contenders to ten films. Prior to the final nomination voting, members from the Casting Directors Branch will be extended invitations for a “bake-off” event, where they’ll view presentations from the nominees and have the opportunity to ask questions.

2026 will see a shift in policy that clarifies the impact of using generative AI during film production on a movie’s nomination chances. However, each branch of the judging panel will evaluate the merit based on the extent of human involvement in the creative process when selecting the films for an award. In simpler terms, while AI may be utilized in making a film, the human touch and contribution to the creative authorship are still essential factors in determining nominations.

The Oscars are set to air on March 15, 2026, with

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2025-04-22 20:40