The date of the next Oscar ceremony will move back one month to March 27, 2022 but the films in contention this year will only have a nine-month qualifying window—the aftereffects of upheaval in the release schedule caused by the pandemic.
Even as the global quarantine begins to ease amid the vaccination push, distortions in what was once considered normal remain. The announcement today by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a reflection of that. Since last year’s Oscar deadline was extended, the films that fit into those additional 2021 months naturally can’t campaign again for the next award season.
“The eligibility period for Academy Awards consideration will return to the standard December 31 deadline: a feature film must have a qualifying release date between March 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021,” the Academy said in its statement.
The ABC telecast will also return to its longtime home in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, after spreading out to different locations for the most recent broadcast.
The 94th Academy Awards was originally set to happen on February 27, 2022, and a full explanation of why its being delayed was not provided by the Academy. It did note that eligibility requirements would stay the same as modified ones last year, except for the dates, because this current year “is still impacted by the pandemic.”
Additional rules for the 94th Oscars will be revealed in June, with plans to eventually add further rules and requirements to future contenders. The Academy has already set a series of new inclusion standards that it has said will become mandatory by 2024.
Here are some of the key Oscar dates for the 94th awards:
General entry categories submission deadline — Monday, November 15, 2021
Eligibility period ends — Friday, December 31, 2021
Governors Awards — Saturday, January 15, 2022
Nominations voting begins — Thursday, January 27, 2022
Nominations voting ends — Tuesday, February 1, 2022
Oscar Nominations Announcement — Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Oscar Nominees Luncheon — Monday, March 7, 2022
Final voting begins — Thursday, March 17, 2022
Final voting ends — Tuesday, March 22, 2022
94th Oscar Telecast — Sunday, March 27, 2022
It’s telling that at the end of the announcement, the Academy added this line: “All dates for the 94th Academy Awards are subject to change.” These are all still moving pieces.
But for now, this is what awards obsessives can pencil into their calendars.
— A First Look at Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon
— 15 Summer Movies Worth Returning to Theaters For
— Why Evan Peters Needed a Hug After His Big Mare of Easttown Scene
— Shadow and Bone Creators Break Down Those Big Book Changes
— The Particular Bravery of Elliot Page’s Oprah Interview
— Inside the Collapse of the Golden Globes
— Watch Justin Theroux Break Down His Career
— For the Love of Real Housewives: An Obsession That Never Quits
— From the Archive: The Sky’s the Limit for Leonardo DiCaprio
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