The Academy Awards are set for March 27, 2022, and ABC and The Academy are making what they believe to be the proper moves to improve the dwindling ratings for Hollywood’s biggest. In a decision that has angered some cinephiles, 8 of the 23 Oscar categories will be dropped from the live telecast.
Per Deadline, the 8 categories that are being dropped will be taped in the hour before the telecast in the audience and then run at points during the show. The categories that won’t be included during the live telecast are Documentary (Short Subject), Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Production Design, Short Film (Animated), Short Film (Live Action), and Sound.
In a letter that was sent out by AMPAS President David Rubin to nominees and members, it was explained why this decision was made and most of it comes down to trying to broaden the audience. Per Deadline, the suggestions for the change came from ABC, the “industry”, and elsewhere that felt there was a need to increase and maintain viewer engagement. It was stressed that this is a LIVE show and that it’s vastly important that they create interest in its production. Even those these categories are being dropped from the live telecast, The Academy wants to stress that none of the 23 categories are coming off the show and they will not be presented on the red carpet or that show leading into the Oscars. They will be presented immediately before the start of the live broadcast in front of a full audience and later folded into the actual three-hour telecast.
This decision has been met with polarizing responses. Fans of the films nominated think it’s a disservice to those in the particular categories that worked hard to get to this moment only to essentially be told your category isn’t significant enough to be aired live. On the other hand, some seem to think this is more a move by ABC instead of The Academy because they have more of a vested interest in the ratings being good. They have advertiser space to sell during a three-hour+ show and if the ratings aren’t there, those advertiser spots become harder to fill.
What are YOUR thoughts about the Academy’s decision to drop these 8 categories from the live telecast? You can check out AMPAS’ letter in full below!
Dear Fellow Academy Members,
We’re excited to present a 94th Oscars broadcast that both honors the year’s achievements in motion pictures and provides boundless entertainment for our global audience of movie lovers. After carefully listening to feedback and suggestions from our film community, our network partner, and all those who love the Oscars, it was evident we needed to make some decisions about the broadcast that are in the best interest of the future of our show and our organization.
When deciding how to produce the Oscars, we recognize it’s a live event television show and we must prioritize the television audience to increase viewer engagement and keep the show vital, kinetic, and relevant. This has been an important focus of discussion for quite some time. We do this while also remembering the importance of having our nominees relish a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
In order to provide more time and opportunity for audience entertainment and engagement through comedy, musical numbers, film clip packages and movie tributes, a change in the show’s production will take place. This year’s show producers and Academy leadership with oversight of the Oscars have made the decision, with endorsement from the officers and the Awards Committee, that every awards category must be featured on the television broadcast, though eight awards will initially be presented in the Dolby Theatre in the hour before the live broadcast begins.
They will not be presented in the pre-show nor on the red carpet, as some have speculated. Instead, the in-person ceremony at the Dolby Theatre will begin one hour earlier to present eight awards categories before the live telecast starts. Those presentations will then be edited by our creative and production teams and will be folded seamlessly into the live televised show.
To be clear, all the nominees in ALL awards categories will be identified on air and ALL winners’ acceptance speeches will be featured on the live broadcast. Every awarded filmmaker and artist in every category will still have the celebratory ‘Oscar moment’ they deserve on the stage of the Dolby, facing an enrapt audience.
For the audience at home, the show’s flow does not change, though it will become tighter and more electric with this new cadence, and the live broadcast should end – yes, with the Best Picture category – at the three-hour mark.
This year, those categories presented in the evening’s first hour and seen later in the live broadcast are, alphabetically: Documentary (Short Subject), Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Production Design, Short Film (Animated), Short Film (Live Action), and Sound.
The categories to be presented live on this year’s broadcast are, alphabetically: Actor in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture, Cinematography, Costume Design, Directing, Documentary (Feature), International Feature Film, Music (Original Song), Visual Effects, Writing (Adapted Screenplay), and Writing (Original Screenplay).
We realize these kinds of changes can prompt concern about equity, and we ask you to understand our goal has been to find a balance in which nominees, winners, members, and viewing audience all have a rewarding show experience. Moving forward we will assess this change and will continue to look for additional ways to make our show more entertaining and more thrilling for all involved, inside the Dolby Theatre and watching from home.
Every Academy branch and award category is indispensable to the success of a film and vital to this industry. Both our challenge and our goal is to create an exciting, streamlined Oscars show without sacrificing the long-held fundamentals of our organization. We appreciate your understanding and will be grateful for your unwavering support.
Sincerely,
David Rubin
Academy President