The Oscars Pushed Back To April 2021

LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and their broadcast partner ABC announced that the 93rd annual Oscar Awards will be delayed in 2021 and is now scheduled to take place Sunday, April 25, 2021, as a result of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19.

The show, which will air live on ABC, was originally scheduled for February 28th. The Oscars have taken place in February since 2004 but the awards gala previously took place in March or April.

With the new dates, the Oscars eligibility window for Academy Awards consideration has also extended past the December 2020 deadline. A feature film must now have a qualifying release date between January 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021.

As well, the Academy previously changed its eligibility rules, and for the 93rd Oscars, films that were intended to be released theatrically but were instead released on streaming services are eligible.

In addition to a new date for the Oscars, the Academy also announced that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which was initially scheduled to open to the public on December 14, 2020, will now open on April 30, 2021, also as a result of the health crisis.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano and featuring six floors of exhibition spaces, education and special event spaces, a conservation studio, a restaurant, a museum store, the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater and the 288-seat Ted Mann Theater.

“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. 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,” said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “This coming Oscars and the opening of our new museum will mark an historic moment, gathering movie fans around the world to unite through cinema.”

“We find ourselves in uncharted territory this year and will continue to work with our partners at the Academy to ensure next year’s show is a safe and celebratory event that also captures the excitement of the opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures,” added Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment.