LOS ANGELES — Faced with an existential crisis of dwindling ratings and a lack of blockbuster nominees, the motion picture academy is making a major change to this year's Oscars: Not every award will be presented live during the telecast.
While the starriest of the 23 categories will be given out live on air, five below-the-line awards and the three short film awards will be handed out before the telecast begins, with clips of the presentations and acceptance speeches then edited into the broadcast. The affected categories are film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design and sound as well as documentary short subject, animated short and live-action short.
While such a move has long been contemplated, shifting awards out of the hallowed Oscar ceremony is not a step the academy's leadership takes lightly — or that all of the group's members are likely to welcome. The academy prizes its traditions, and the members cherish their opportunity to have their craft and artistry celebrated in front of a global audience.
