Like a instructor scolding college students for not doing their homework, the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences has instituted a key rule change for the 2026 Oscars, requiring that voters watch all of the nominated films in every class to take part in remaining voting.
“Academy members should now watch all nominated movies in every class to be eligible to vote within the remaining spherical for the Oscars,” the procedural change reads. It’s unclear how voters are anticipated to show they’ve watched the nominated movies, however the requirement is now not less than in writing.
The announcement additionally options the Academy’s first official assertion on whether the use of AI impacts eligibility: “With regard to Generative Synthetic Intelligence and different digital instruments used within the making of the movie, the instruments neither assist nor hurt the possibilities of attaining a nomination. The Academy and every department will choose the achievement, bearing in mind the diploma to which a human was on the coronary heart of the inventive authorship when selecting which film to award.”
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Different notable guidelines adjustments embrace that remaining ballots will now listing the names of all designated nominees, along with the nominated film. Eligibility and voting guidelines for the inaugural Oscar for Achievement in Casting have additionally been codified. This features a preliminary spherical of voting to create a shortlist of 10 movies. Nominations voting will then be preceded by a “bake-off” presentation of the shortlisted achievements, together with a Q&A with designated nominees.
Moreover, Academy members who view all 15 shortlisted films within the Animated Brief Movie class will now be capable of vote within the nominations spherical. There’s additionally a brand new preliminary spherical of voting for the Cinematography class, narrowing down a shortlist to between 10 and 20 movies.
The eligibility requirement for the Worldwide Function Movie class has additionally been up to date to learn: “The submitting nation should verify that inventive management of the movie was largely within the arms of residents, residents, or people with refugee or asylum standing within the submitting nation.”
In one other procedural replace, the submission deadlines for Greatest Unique Tune and Greatest Unique Rating have been separated, with the previous touchdown on Wednesday, October fifteenth, 2025, and the latter on Monday, November third, 2025.
See the complete listing of guidelines and marketing campaign promotional rules for the 98th Oscars here. The ceremony is scheduled to air reside on ABC on Sunday, March fifteenth, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.
