The Academy Awards Will Return to a 10 Nominee Best Picture Field in 2021

All things considered, the upcoming Oscar season has one of the most exciting, uncertain line-ups in decades. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rules have changed drastically and will include streaming films for the first (and likely only) time in the ceremony's history. As a result, nobody really knows what's about to happen or if the Fall will return to normal and make this whole exercise moot. With that said, there's still room for some new rules to be put into place, including one that hasn't been seen in eight years. That's right. After years of existing on a sliding scale of 5-10 nominations, The Academy has voted to go back to a solid 10 nominees, if just to guarantee a more diverse Best Picture line-up. After all, they need that more than ever right now and this looks like a good course correction.

There's A New Academy President, and His Name is David Rubin

David Rubin

If there's nothing else to take away from The Academy Awards in 2018, it was that it was the season when things fell apart. While some would argue that Green Book is among the "worst winners ever," (I don't), many saw the road to Oscar night in 2019 all the rockier. Besides the inexplicable Bohemian Rhapsody love, it was the year of the "Best Popular Movie" category fiasco and the ceremony went without a host. All of this was criticism lobbied onto Academy president John Bailey. It makes sense then why there was a vote for a new one in place of Bailey stepping down. David Rubin was announced as the new president, and it looks like the start of a new era for a variety of reasons.

The Academy Rumored to Be Limiting Music Performances at Ceremony

Kendrick Lamarr

With the Oscar nominations firmly upon us, The Academy has found a way to make the final month-long stretch to Oscar Night more frustrating than trying to guess who will win. With theaters boycotting Roma, and the current plan of the show having no host, one has to wonder where the controversial decisions end. It didn't happen yesterday when a rumor surfaced that the show would be going without another key piece of the puzzle. While there hasn't been any confirmation as of yet, there's a report from Variety that there will be limited performances by the Best Original Song nominees. It makes sense then why people are once again annoyed by this decision, The Academy Awards is a place to celebrate film from over the past year. If they won't acknowledge the music that goes into a film, then what will they recognize?

What "The Shape of Water" Winning Best Picture Means to Me

Credit: Naki for Variety

There's certain things that people have come to expect from a Best Picture winner at The Academy Awards. They are prestigious dramas conveying deep and conflicting resonance of the moment it came out. It's supposed to be serious, often contextualizing a piece of history through an artistic prism. But, as someone who has loved classic monster movies, I've also known that another thing is true: genre movies don't win. Comedies or musicals maybe, but never sci-fi, horror, fantasy, or anything considered niche. After all, the Best Picture winner is something agreed upon of thousands of people from differing tastes. So to see The Shape of Water win two of film's most prestigious awards this past Sunday gave me an incredible feeling. Somehow it validated the idea that The Oscars have always preached: all movies matter. For the first time this millennium, that's felt like more than hyperbole.

"Groundhog Day" Cinematographer John Bailey is Officially the New Academy President

John Bailey

As most likely know, this past Oscar season marked one interesting change. After four years, President Cheryl Boone Isaacs would be stepping down. This left plenty of options available as to who would lead The Academy going forward. Considering the struggles of diversity regarding youth, gender, and race; it was a conflict that definitely seemed challenging. However, the answer came after a vote on Tuesday night. While many predicted Laura Dern (who has become more active in Academy-related events), the answer was someone a bit more obscure. Ladies and gentlemen, the new President of the American Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is... John Bailey!

Here's a Look at the 774 New Members of The Academy

Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman

There's no denying that the one thing that probably made last year's Academy Awards very interesting was the diverse new membership. 2016 saw a record breaking 683 new members. This was in large part to combat diversity issues both in terms of race and in gender. If nothing else, it made for one of the less predictable Best Picture years in recent history where Moonlight upset La La Land for top prize. Still, those who thought that there was no way to top last year's impressive haul clearly didn't wait around for the following year's inductees. The record is once again broken and there are now 774 new people being invited to join The Academy, including Gal Gadot, Kristen Stewart, Elle Fanning, Dwayne Johnson, and even Betty White. It's an impressive list, and one that looks to say good things about the future of The Academy going forward.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs to Step Down From Academy President

Cheryl Boone Isaacs

It has come as a surprise that current Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs has officially announced that she will be stepping down following the completion of this term. She has been the voice of The Academy for the past four years and has steered the prestigious group into directions that address increasing diversity and making the Oscars more aware of talents not found within the studio system. While her successor has not been announced, it feels like an important time to remember what was special about Isaacs' time as President, and what can possibly be expected in years to come.

"13 Hours" Best Sound Mixing Nominee Gets His Nomination Revoked

Scene from 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

While this has been a largely controversy-free Oscar season, there was one film that managed to get in the news for all of the wrong reasons. Director Michael Bay's 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi may not be a movie up for Best Picture, but it still managed to have its sole nomination rescinded due to a little rule breaking. While it won't be replaced by another nominee, it lowers the Best Sound Mixing category to four potential nominees. Read on to discover what exactly got 13 Hours excluded from the race and sacrificed it from having a potential win.

Check This Out: The 2017 Oscar Nominations Announcement Video

While many are likely still mulling over the Oscar nominations, there is one new thing that has already happened this year worthy of further discussion: the announcement presentation. It was billed as an "in house production" that would be different from the familiar rigmarole of presenting the nominees live before a press audience. With a video format highlighting every nomination with heartfelt stories of what it means to be a winner, the worst that can be said is that this year was different. If you're interested in seeing the video, as well as discussing its effectiveness, just click the button and read on.

Oscars to Try New Approach to Announcing Nominees

Cheryl Boone Isaacs

It was a year ago today that the 2016 Academy Award nominations were announced. While this year is running a little bit behind schedule (we still have 10 days to go), there's still plenty to look forward to when Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs and a selected group introduce each of the categories that will define conversation for the upcoming weeks. While Oscar fans likely know what to expect, there's going to be one twist this year. It won't exactly be live, nor presented in the format that we've come to expect. That's right, things are going to be a little bit different, and they won't be presented live before a press audience. They will be presented digitally.

Check It Out: Watch Videos From The Academy's Governors Ball 2016

Jackie Chan

This past weekend, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) held their annual Governors Ball to hand out Honorary Oscars to individuals in the arts who have done superb work. This year's group featured Jackie Chan, Frederick Wiseman, Anne V. Coates, and Lynn Stalmaster along with celebrities introducing them with monologues detailing each recipient's achievements. Thanks to the fine work over at The Academy's YouTube page, you can watch highlights from the ceremony right now, including each recipient's speech as well as the introduction by AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs Re-elected Academy President

Cheryl Boone Isaacs

One of the exciting things about this brief break is that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was on the verge of electing a new president. With three-term president Cheryl Boone Isaacs reaching the end of her term, one could only wonder who they had lined up to be next. In a moment that didn't surprise anyone, The Academy decided to do something novel and elect her to a fourth term. While many are likely shrugging their shoulders and wondering what exactly will change with The Academy in the year ahead, one should note that Isaacs has done plenty of good, albeit mostly in the past year. Still, what are we in store with a four-term president? The answer is, as she has outlined in the months passed, more of the same. And that may end up being a very good thing.

Check This Out: Academy Awards President Discusses "Oscars So White" Dielmma

Left to right: Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Janice Min

Over the past two weeks, there has been a lot of discussion regarding the representation of race in the Oscar nominations. For the most part, the conversations have been held by those who have felt slighted in some way by the diversity problem. There's been positive and negative so far with more on each side building every day. However, there's one person that we haven't heard too much from who is getting a raw deal in the situation: The Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs. While she has made her own initiatives to improve the problematic situation at hand, she has been quiet in sharing her own thoughts on the backlash. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter's Oscar podcast Awards Chatter, she opens up in an hour-long episode with interviewer and Creative Chief Officer for THR named Janice Min with her own opinions on the matter, and her general goals for the year ahead.

Academy President Announces Plans For Racial Diversity

Cherly Boone Isaacs

It hasn't been the best week for The Academy Awards. In light of last week's nominations, this week was met with almost a daily and noteworthy new voice speaking about the Oscars So White movement. Over the past week, people with good intentions (Will Packer) and bad (Charlotte Rampling) have come forward in a move that, if nothing else, shows that maybe The Academy needs to work a little harder on diversity. In a press release yesterday, President Cheryl Boone Isaacs has officially announced a motive to improve upon this starting during the next eligible Oscar season. By 2020, she wants the representation of the members to be just as accurate as the society by which these artists entertain.

Clooney Adds His Voice to the "Oscars So White" Movement

George Clooney in Hail,  Caesar!

If you haven't heard, The Academy Awards have a diversity problem, and a lot of big names have made their comment. Yesterday, I mentioned a handful that included Will Packer (Straight Outta Compton), Spike Lee, and Jada Pinkett Smith. As the days progress, more people add their names to the list - including David Oyelowo, Michael Moore, O'Shea Jackson Jr., and most notably influential Oscar heavyweight George Clooney. In an essay posted on Variety, Clooney doesn't suggest so much that we have a problem, but that we are actually going backwards from the progress we have made.

Here's the Information About Tomorrow's Oscar Nominations Announcement

Ang Lee

If you're one of those who love Oscar seasons, then tomorrow is going to be a big day for you. That's right, the nominations are finally upon us! You can check out my personal picks here, and chime in with your own comments. However, there's a good chance that you're wondering where you can watch everything happen live. Here's the information: The nominations will be announced beginning at 5:30 AM PST (8:30 EST) and broken up into two parts. The first will be presented by Oscar-winning directors Ang Lee and Guillermo del Toro, with the second half being presented by actor John Krasinski and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs around 5:38 AM PST (8:38 EST). You may also watch it online via the Oscars' YouTube page (click here to watch the feed). So get ready for one of the most exciting days of the Oscar season, and prepare for recaps at The Oscar Buzz following the announcement.

Also, make sure to watch the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, February 28 at 5:30 PST (8:30 PST).

Check This Out: Watch Clips From This Year's Governors Awards Ceremony

Spike Lee

This past Saturday marked the 7th annual Governors Awards, which was created to highlight those receiving Honorary Oscars for their work in film and media. As with every year, the selections reflected a diverse yet creative mix of artists, including Gena Rowlands, Debbie Reynolds, and Spike Lee. Along with being a typical ceremony, each winner was presented with a tribute from his or her peers - all of whom provided lively and comical anecdotes about their friends. Thanks to the folks over at Oscars' YouTube page,  you can watch all of the videos from that event, including an introduction from President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. The following is a highlight of the evening, including the speeches in full.

Save the Date: Oscar Nominations Announcement to Be Presented in Two Parts

J.J. Abrams

In case you were worried about the Oscars seeming too much of an old hat nowadays, they have done an incredible job to anticipate otherwise. Along with MC MVP Neil Patrick Harris hosting and a group of solid writers backing him up, 2015 looks to be way way different from what you'd expect. However, there's been some exciting news for those who are awaiting the moment when those nominees are finally announced. For the first time ever, all 24 categories will be announced in a live public event in two parts. What does this mean? It's actually something kind of exciting.