In an expected announcement, the 93rd Academy Awards will be looking a bit different next year. On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its Board of Governors have approved rules changes for next year’s 93rd annual Academy Awards.
The first big change comes in the combination of the sound mixing and sound editing categories. Earlier this year, on the Reel Chronicles podcast, I had predicted that the categories would be merged sooner than later. As years have shown, this category seemed to not only confuse members but cinephiles as to what editing and mixing actually are. The change will create one singular sound category going forward, Best Sound.
The second change comes in the Best Original Score category. Many have complained about the inclusion of sequels in the category for years, and with the rule change, original scores must have 60% original music as opposed to “predominantly” original in order to qualify for possible nomination.
The biggest change comes in film eligibility. For this year only, films can qualify for the competition without screening for at least one week in a Los Angeles-area theater, the long-standing barrier for entry, that disqualified many streamers from competing for an Oscar.
Instead, films that were scheduled for theatrical release, that meet the other eligibility requirements that are set by the Academy along with the ability for Academy members to view on the organization’s members-only streaming service, Academy Screening Room, within 60 days of being made available on a publicly available streamer or VOD service will be in the running.
These changes will surely make next year’s Academy Awards one of the most intriguing shows in its 93-year history.
