Oscars 2026 new rule shocks voters. Here's what Academy states

Time of India

30-04-2025

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hopes to provide a level playing field for smaller projects in the Oscars with a new rule that mandates voting members to watch all the entries in each category that they are supposed to vote in.
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Oscar new rule: How Academy members reacted
Comedian shocked at previous voting patterns
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced a groundbreaking rule earlier this month, mandating its voting members to watch all the entries of each category that they are supposed to vote in. The voters will also be required to detail the 'where' and 'when' of the viewing session in a form. The new rule has sparked an intense discussion about its potential impact. The mandate is a radical overhaul in the sense that earlier it was merely recommended to Oscar voters to watch every nominated film.Academy members have reacted to the change in a largely positive manner, insiders cited by Variety report said. The outlet also noted how Oscar voters would earlier often rely on buzz, publicists, and the word-of-mouth from close circles to cast their votes. With the new rule in place now, several members wonder if it will only encourage voters to circumvent the system using new deceptive tactics.Variety also mentioned the prevalent practice of the era when ballots were sometimes completed by aides or even adult children of the voters. One of the key expectations from the new rule is that it will provide a level playing field for smaller projects that may be more deserving of an Oscar while lacking funds for a sizable promotion campaign.A comic who has written for more than two dozen Oscar shows also expressed his disbelief upon learning how common it was for Oscar voters to cast their votes without even watching all the nominated films. The comedian, Bruce Vilanch, said he was "shocked" by the discovery. As per The New York Times, he described the new rule as "kind of hysterical".Another comedian, who wrote for the 97th Academy Awards held in March this year, said she had to watch each and every entry just to write jokes about them. According to the NYT, she said she was unable to believe that Academy members could not be troubled to watch every entry for the purpose of voting till now.It is to be seen now if the new rule will force voters to watch every movie, or will they still find a way to cast their votes after skipping to browse every nominated entry.Sources cited in a recent report by Variety claim that the response has been largely positive.The Academy hopes to provide a level playing field for smaller projects that compete against films that have a significant budget for promotions.