LOS ANGELES — The film academy has finally revealed the Oscar categories that will be presented during the commercial breaks of this year’s broadcast in an attempt to shorten the show to three hours.
The Oscars for cinematography, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, and live-action short will be presented off-air at this year’s ceremony, an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences spokesperson said Monday. The winning speeches will air later in the broadcast and will also be livestreamed on Oscar.com and the film academy’s social accounts.
Film academy president John Bailey said in a note to members that the executive committees of six branches opted-in to this “slightly edited timeframe” and the board of governors chose four for this year.
“We are committed to presenting a show which we all will be proud of,” he said.
In future years, four to six rotating categories could be cut from the broadcast.
The plan to hand out certain awards during commercials to achieve a three-hour runtime on Feb. 24 was announced in August as one of a few changes to combat declining ratings. But unlike the popular Oscar category, which was walked back for further consideration after impassioned backlash, this one stuck.
The move has been generally disliked by both nominees and many film fans on social media, some of whom have been tweeting with the hashtag #PresentAll24 for weeks.
“This decision has nothing to do with any decision about cinema It’s a broadcast thing decision. It’s about the show, the entertainment. But it should not be part of the discussion of what Academy Awards are about,” “Roma” director and cinematographer Alfonso Cuaron said at the Directors Guild Awards earlier this month. “The Academy Awards should be about celebrating the artists in the different categories.”
Curaon is the only nominee in a cut category who is up for other awards.
