The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced new rules for the 96th Oscars season, aimed at bringing clarity, fairness, and transparency to the awards process. The changes come in the wake of the “To Leslie” campaign controversy earlier this year, which allegedly violated the Academy’s guidelines for promoting an awards-eligible motion picture.
The new rules include restrictions on the number of hosted screenings before nominations and the complete elimination of them post-nominations. Physical outreach has also been eliminated, as campaigns shift to a more virtual format. Social media outreach is now more limited, and members cannot use it to encourage or discourage others to vote for any movie, performance, or achievement.
The Academy has also specified what members can and cannot say when speaking to voters. The penalties for violating any of the new rules have been clarified, and include revoking voting privileges, rescinding an Oscar nomination, and expelling a member from the Academy. There is now a clear process for reporting campaign violations.
“The Academy has revised these promotional regulations for the 96th Oscars to bring clarity, fairness, and transparency to how motion picture companies and individuals directly associated with awards-eligible motion pictures may promote such motion pictures,” reads the Academy’s statement.
The new rules reflect back on the To Leslie campaign controversy, which led to allegations that the grassroots campaign for the film had violated the guidelines set by the Academy. The Academy Board met in the last week of April to finalize the changes, which are aimed at preventing future violations and ensuring a fair awards process.
The 96th Oscars season is set to take place in 2024, and the Academy’s new rules will be in effect for all awards-eligible motion pictures. The changes have been welcomed by industry insiders, who hope that they will bring greater transparency and fairness to the awards process.
