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The Academy Awardshave announced several big changes that will take effect in the 2026 ceremonial , the most recent of which changes a long - bear rule that could massively touch on future winners . This new change come curtly after several other bountiful announcements pertain changes to the Oscars in coming long time . In retiring calendar week , the Academy announce the creation of anew Stunt Design family for 2028 . A twelvemonth before that , aBest Achievement in Casting categorywas announced which will go into effect for picture show this twelvemonth .
The additional categories are a bully change to the Oscars , which dedicate manufacture professionals have been crusade years for . While these increase make complete sense , the Academy ’s newest update on vote rule does have some viewers puzzled as to why it was n’t implemented sooner . The2025 Oscar winnerswere widely celebrated and deserving of their laurels , but the new modification could have actually altered the results and will sure enough make vote fairer in future years , making it a necessary increase .
The Oscars Have Added A New Rule Requiring Watching All Movies In A Category To Vote
Voters Will No Longer Be Able To Vote For Movies They Haven’t Seen
The Academy has lately announced that they will change their convention for theupcoming 2026 Oscars to require all voters to have see all the nominate movies to be able to vote . This formula is per category , meaning that viewers would still be able to vote in some categories provided they have seen each of its nominee . For good example , if a voter has not witness every nominee in the Best Animated lineament category , they would not be able-bodied to vote for it , but they could still vote for Best Picture if they have seen every Best Picture nominee .
The contenders for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival have been announced , and these are some theories as to how these film will fare at the Oscars .
In lodge to enforce this new rule , honorary society elector will have to provide proof that they have screen out the films , otherwise the digital vote will not allow voters get at to the incomplete family . When speak toEntertainment Weekly , an Academy spokesperson stated that a member ’s screenings are cut through by the Academy Screening Room overhaul . Either watching picture through this service or fill out a " fancy elsewhere form " will assure that each Academy member has entree to vote in their completed categories .
Why The Oscars Didn’t Already Require Voters To Watch Every Movie & How It Worked
Members Were Voting On The Honor System
The Academy ’s new scheme for balloting seems straightforward enough , so perhaps the better interrogation is why this was not already standard procedure . The Academy ’s members are in all probability very busy , andthe old organization takes into story that elector may not have meter to watch every movie . To ponder this , the voting guidelines were largely base on the honor organization , assuming that members would vote as passably as possible give the movie that they had seen .
Per theOscars ' 2024 rule of thumb , Academy member were " asked to watch as many films as potential and only suffrage for the films that they have actually seen . " This ruling assumes that film industriousness pro would likely want to watch the films , but simply may not get around to seeing them all . However , the verbiage does subtly highlight how the former guidepost did mechanically rule out potentially neat motion picture , asvoters were boost not to vote for movies that they had not seen rather than ruling out category that were uncompleted .
In inwardness , then , the unexampled opinion is only a strong enforcement of what the Academy already hoped that its voters were doing .
That being said , the guidelines do state that elector are able to leave off categoriesif they do not feel certified to make a solid choice or if they have not see enough of the entries . In pith , then , the novel ruling is simply a strong enforcement of what the Academy already hop that its voters were doing . Though Oscar elector belike were not try on to be unfair , the fresh rule will definitely help ensure that voters are fully well-educated before redact their ballots .
How The New Voting Rules Will Impact The Oscars 2026
People Will Actually Have To Watch The Movies Before Choosing A Winner
The newfangled voting pattern will definitely have a positive shock on the Oscars in future years because it will allow each of the candidate to start out on equal footing . It confirms that people will actually have to watch over all the moving-picture show they are vote on , which put up in contrast to old year whensome anonymous voters reveal they had not watched the nominees . This became the display case for the 2025 Academy Award when some voters acknowledged that they had not watchedThe BrutalistofDune : Part Twobecause of the length of the celluloid .
This means that these films are overlooked mechanically when member start vote based on the Oscars ' own guidelines .
If voters are willing to omit great movies that have long runtimes or come outside of viewers ' taste , those movies mechanically misplace ground compare to other nominees . This intend that these pic are look across mechanically when members begin voting based on the Oscars ' own guidelines . With the fresh principle firmly in place for 2026 , this will no longer be the case , meaning that movies which would have been overshadowed in the past could now becomeAcademy Awardsfavorites .
Sources : Entertainment Weekly , Oscars guidepost
