NPR News

Oscars Postponed Two Months Because Of Pandemic

By Mandalit del Barco

Published June 15, 2020 at 9:12 PM EDT

An Academy Awards statuette is pictured during the 2020 Oscars Nominees Luncheon at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Jan. 27, 2020. [Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images] — An Academy Awards statuette is pictured during the 2020 Oscars Nominees Luncheon at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Jan. 27, 2020.

Next year's Academy Awards ceremony will be postponed for two months, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of February 28, 2021, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and ABC announced the televised ceremony will now be held on April 25, 2021.

"For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year," Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement.

"Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone's control."

The organization recently extended its eligibility rules for the 2021 Oscars and awards season. Now, in order to qualify for awards, feature films must be released between Jan. 1, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2020 For international and animated features, documentaries, and short films, the deadline is Dec. 1, 2020. And submissions for best picture, original score and song and other general entries is now Jan. 15, 2021.

The opening of the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will also be delayed from December of this year to April 2021. It will feature six floors of exhibition and event spaces, a restaurant, museum store and two theaters. "With the unprecedented and devastating pandemic happening around the world and our commitment first and foremost to the health and safety of our visitors and staff, we have made the difficult decision to wait a few more months to open our doors," said Bill Kramer, director of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in a statement. "Thankfully, with COVID-19 safety protocols in place, exhibitions continue to be installed."

Next Fall's Governor's Awards gala is also being moved to a yet unspecified date.

The Academy recently announced initiatives for future Oscars awards, including a task force with the Producers Guild of America to develop representation and inclusion standards for Oscars eligibility by July 31, 2020. The changes include setting the Best Picture category at 10 nominees and offering online screening rooms for members to view films released year-round. The Board of Governors now have term limits, and new invited members include director Ava Duvernay, who has spoken out for more inclusion in Hollywood.