Why The Academy is postponing the Oscars until April 2021

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Monday that the 93rd Oscars Award has been postponed from February 28, 2021, to April 25, 2021.

“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,” academy president David Rubin and chief executive Dawn Hudson said in a joint statement.

“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,” Rubin and Hudson added.

The Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards presentation, which was scheduled for a June 20, 2020 ceremony in Beverly Hills, has been postponed to a later date still to be determined.

The Academy’s Governors Awards, an annual celebration held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood, will not take place this fall. Additional information about the ceremony and selection of honorees will be provided at a later date.

The 93rd Oscars will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

It's true! Next year's #Oscars will happen on April 25, 2021.

Here's what else you need to know:

– The eligibility period for the Oscars will be extended to February 28, 2021
– Nominations will be announced on March 15, 2021
– @AcademyMuseum will open on April 30, 2021 pic.twitter.com/cTsqOfsf8k

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) June 15, 2020

Academy key dates for the 2020/2021 Oscar season are as follows:

Preliminary voting begins: Feb 1, 2021

Preliminary voting ends: Feb. 5, 2021

Oscars shortlist announcement: Feb. 9, 2021

Nominations voting begins: Mar. 5, 2021

Nominations voting ends: Mar. 10, 2021

Oscar nominations announcement: Mar. 15, 2021

Oscars nominees luncheon: April 15, 2021

Final voting begins: April 15, 2021

Museum gala: April 17, 2021

Final voting ends: April 20, 2021

Oscars: April 25, 2021

Museum public opening: April 30, 2021