Academy Awards Move to April Due to Covid-19 Pandemic
Due to coronavirus concerns, the 2021 Academy Awards will move from February 28, 2021 to April 30 2021.
Coinciding with the Oscars celebration, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, initially scheduled to open to the public on December 14, 2020, will now open on April 30, 2021, also as a result of the health crisis.
How will an April Oscar telecast affect the American Idol schedule?
Moving up the 2021 Oscars, which air on ABC, will have a big impact on the American Idol schedule. Ever since the network rebooted the singing show in 2018, the Oscars have served as a launching pad for the show’s premiere. The Oscar telecast has featured tons of promos and tie ins. For instance, a minute long video featuring upcoming American Idol contestants has run during the Oscar telecast. Then, the following Sunday, American Idol kicks off its season.
The Oscars airing in April means American Idol will premiere without the benefit of Oscar promo. Additionally, the Oscars will interrupt Idol’s weekly Sunday schedule. ABC will either have to skip a week, or move the episode to another day of the week.
But who even knows what the winter will look like if there is another Covid-19 spike. Predictions are hard to make under the circumstances.
We find ourselves in uncharted territory, says ABC chief
Academy president David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson say in a statement: “For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year. Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone’s control. This coming Oscars and the opening of our new museum will mark an historic moment, gathering movie fans around the world to unite through cinema.”
“We find ourselves in uncharted territory this year and will continue to work with our partners at the Academy to ensure next year’s show is a safe and celebratory event that also captures the excitement of the opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures,” said Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment.
The Eligibility Period for Academy Award Consideration has also been extended
Dates also have shifted for the Academy Awards® eligibility period, submission deadlines and related awards season events. The eligibility period for Academy Awards consideration has been extended beyond the standard December 31 deadline: a feature film must now have a qualifying release date between January 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021. The submission deadline for specialty categories (Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, International Feature Film, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film) is December 1, 2020. The submission deadline for general entry categories, including Best Picture, Original Score and Original Song, is now January 15, 2021. Visit oscars.org/rules for the complete 93rd Academy Awards rules, revised with these dates and deadlines.
