July 28, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

Academy Announces Major Changes for 98th Oscars, Including AI Rules and New Casting Award

Academy Now Requires Viewing All Nominees to Cast Final Ballots

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled updated rules and key dates for the 98th Academy Awards, introducing several big changes ahead of the March 2026 ceremony.

The Academy’s Board of Governors has approved revisions to voting and eligibility requirements, including a new mandate that Academy members must view all nominated films in a given category to participate in final-round voting. The change aims to ensure greater fairness and informed decision-making across categories.

Among the most notable developments is the codification of rules for the newly established Academy Award® for Achievement in Casting. This inaugural honor, set to debut at the 2026 ceremony, will involve a preliminary voting round to establish a shortlist of 10 films. Members of the Casting Directors Branch will then be invited to a special “bake-off” presentation, featuring nominee Q&As, prior to the final voting.

The Academy also clarified its stance on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in filmmaking. New language now included in the eligibility rules emphasizes that the use of AI and digital tools will not help or hinder a film’s chances of being nominated. Instead, branches will assess films based on the extent to which human authorship drives the creative process.

In the Best Picture race, producers must meet stricter deadlines to submit proof of certification or awards-only consideration to the Producers Guild of America. Films released between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2025, must submit by Sept. 10, while those released in the latter half of the year must submit by Nov. 13.

Additional category-specific updates include:

  • Animated Short Film: All Academy members may now opt in to vote during the nominations round, provided they view all 15 shortlisted entries.
  • Cinematography: A new preliminary voting round will create a shortlist of 10 to 20 contenders ahead of final nominations.
  • International Feature Film: Eligibility now extends to filmmakers with refugee or asylum status in the submitting country, expanding the definition of “creative control.”
  • Music Categories: Song submissions are due by October 15, 2025, while Original Score submissions are due by November 3, 2025.

The 98th Oscars will be broadcast live on ABC on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit oscars.org.

Related Posts

Brentwood Beat: Let’s Get Practical

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Do you ever spend time on NextDoor?   It’s a local online bulletin board.  I check it out maybe twice a...

Los Angeles Fire Department Airlifts Two From Brentwood Trails in Same-Day Rescues

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Two Were Hoisted in Back-To-Back Emergencies From Rugged Terrain Two individuals were airlifted to safety Saturday afternoon in separate incidents...

More Than $50 Billion in Damage: What January’s Wildfire Cost the City of Los Angeles

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Nearly 11,000 Properties, Many in Pacific Palisades, Affected; True Losses Likely Higher Nearly $52 billion in residential real estate across...

Award-Winning Beverly Hills Villa Lists for $39.9 Million in Celebrity-Filled Enclave

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Limestone Showpiece Hits Market in the Flats, From Acclaimed Architect Tucked in the heart of Beverly Hills Flats, a limestone-clad...

(Video) A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

For More Information, Go to Aplustree.com A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles For More...

The Third Place Reinvented: Why Kavahana Is Becoming LA’s New Favorite Hangout Spot

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

In a city full of coffee shops that close too early and bars that don’t cater to the sober (or...

Avocet Playa Vista: Your New Luxury Retirement Experience

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

A wealth of high-end amenities, gourmet cuisine, mind-body programs and stimulating cultural events, centered around a luxury lifestyle retirement experience...

LAPD to Conduct DUI Checkpoints Across City This Weekend

July 26, 2025

July 26, 2025

LAPD officials said checkpoint locations are chosen based on areas with high numbers of DUI-related crashes and arrests The Los...

Metro D Line Resumes Today After 70-Day Closure

July 25, 2025

July 25, 2025

The shutdown, which began May 17, enabled Metro to connect the current line to newly built tunnels extending west under...

Sunset Jazz & Pizza Series Returns to The Lobster

July 25, 2025

July 25, 2025

The series blends jazz from a three-piece house band with handcrafted pizzas and $5 Open Brewing beers  The Lobster’s popular...

Measles Case Confirmed in LA, Officials Urge Vaccination

July 25, 2025

July 25, 2025

Investigators are working to identify potential exposures and assess the risk to others Health officials have confirmed a case of...

Premiere of ‘All These Women’ Coming to Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills

July 25, 2025

July 25, 2025

Set in 1913, the play dramatizes the uphill struggle for the right to vote as women across the United States...

Santa Monica City Attorney to Step Down, Take New Public Role in California

July 25, 2025

July 25, 2025

City Council will discuss hiring a replacement at its July 29 meeting Santa Monica City Attorney Doug Sloan has announced...

Herbie Hancock to Headline Hollywood Bowl in August

July 25, 2025

July 25, 2025

Known for his decades-spanning career, Hancock is one of jazz’s forward-thinking voices Jazz legend Herbie Hancock is set to return...

LAHSA Appoints New Interim CEO Amid System Transitions

July 25, 2025

July 25, 2025

The agency is navigating uncertainty following the county’s decision to create a separate homelessness department and shifting federal policy priorities...