Academy Awards Pushes Back 2021 Date

The coronavirus pandemic is affected nearly every aspect of life over the past few months, including the entertainment industry, which has essentially shut down since the virus first began spreading here in the United States. Theaters have been closed, productions have been non-existent, and the majority of the industry has simply been stuck in limbo, waiting for an opportunity to get things going again. Given the current situation, it should come as no surprise to learn that February’s Academy Awards presentation is being delayed.

The Academy’s Board of Governors has voted to delay the upcoming ceremony, which was originally set for February 28th, to April 25, 2021. This will allow the window of competition to be extended, making the field of entries even bigger. Usually, a film has to debut before December 31st in a given year to qualify for the Academy Awards. In this upcoming ceremony, the window will be extended into 2021 for the same awards show, accounting for the films that had to be delayed due to the pandemic.

Most years see film festivals like Cannes and Venice as launching pads for the Academy Awards and other major shows. Since those festivals aren’t happening in 2020, this extended window offers even more opportunity for films that didn’t have the chance for a festival premiere.

The annual Oscars ceremony takes place at the top of each year and honors the best parts of film from the year before. Well, 2020 hasn’t exactly been a flourishing year for movies just yet, as we’ve only had a fraction of the number of usual releases thanks to COVID-19. There’s also no guarantee as to when theaters will reopen and movies will continue. So with that in mind, the Academy is pushing back the next presentation.

Are you disappointed to see the Academy Awards delayed next year? Let us know in the comments!