2021 Oscars: Ceremony Postponed For The Fourth Time In History

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has taken the decision to postpone next year’s Oscars ceremony due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The organization confirmed the news on its official Twitter handle. The awards show was previously scheduled to take place on Feb. 28, 2021, but they will now take place on April 25, 2021 due to the global health crisis.

In a statement obtained by Variety, David Rubin, president of The Academy, and Dawn Hudson, CEO, noted how movies have always played an “important role” in comforting people during the darkest of times. They then explained why extending the date of the awards show was a logical decision.

They said that the decision was made to provide “flexibility” to the filmmakers who need to finish and release their films.

“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,” they said in a statement.

This is the fourth time for the Oscars to be postponed. Hollywood’s biggest night was first delayed in 1938 due to the floods in Los Angeles. In 1968, the ceremony had to be pushed back because of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and again in 1981 after there was an attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan.

Apart from the date, the organization has also extended the eligibility window beyond the calendar year. The eligibility, which originally began on Jan. 1, 2020, and was expected to end on Dec. 31, 2020, has now been extended until Feb. 28, 2021.

On the other hand, the nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards will now be announced on March 15, 2021.

The news of the postponement comes almost one month after it was first reported that the Academy was thinking of postponing the star-studded event. At the time, sources told Variety that next year’s function was likely to be postponed.

The Oscars has become the first awards show to change its schedule due to the pandemic. Other awards shows like Golden Globes or Critics’ Choice Awards have not announced a date until now.

As far as the pandemic is concerned, the U.S. is the only nation to have more than 2.1 million cases of COVID-19. Meanwhile, the world has witnessed over 8.1 million cases and 439,050 deaths as of late.

Key Dates for Oscars 2020/2021 season:

Awards Eligibility: Jan. 1, 2020 – Feb. 28, 2021

Shortlist Announcement: Feb. 9, 2021

Nominations Announcement: March 15, 2021

93^rd Academy Awards: April 25, 2021