Source: Variety
Revisiting a controversial plan from a few years ago, the Academy has made the announcement that there will be 8 categories that will not be presented during this year's Oscars telecast. Instead, the awards will be presented during a ceremony prior to the telecast, clips of which will be edited into the broadcast.
The 8 Categories Absent from the Oscars Telecast Are:
- Documentary short
- Film editing
- Makeup and hairstyling
- Original score
- Production design
- Animated short
- Live action short
- Sound
Of course, the main reason for this change is an attempt to improve the ratings of the telecast, which dropped to a record low of 9.23 million viewers last year, though arguably part of that could be contributed to the fact that it was an unconventional Oscars held in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan by the Academy, according to a letter sent by President David Rubin, is to use the space freed up by these categories to allow time for comedy, film clips and musical numbers.
While this abridged format is in line with that of other major award shows, it doe end up serving as an example of where the Academy's priorities lay, since the major six awards are clearly more important to the Oscars telecast than up-and-coming short filmmakers, who now will likely have their Oscar moment condensed to 30-second highlights.
Perhaps it is time for the Academy to think less about making the Oscars telecast a ratings hit and more about celebrating the last year in film, no matter how many people end up watching. This includes presenting all 23 awards, since everyone, no matter how big or small, deserves to have their televised Oscar moment.
