The US Academy Awards Postponed for the First Time in 40 Years Due to COVID-19 Impact

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The Academy Awards ceremony in the United States has been postponed for the first time in 40 years due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which oversees the Oscars, announced on the 15th that the 93rd ceremony, originally scheduled for February 28 next year (local time), will be postponed to April 25 next year. David Rubin, the Academy president, and Don Hudson, the Academy CEO, released a statement saying, "We have decided to postpone the Academy Awards ceremony considering its impact on the film industry." They added, "We hope producers will have the flexibility to complete and release their films without any disadvantages."

The U.S. film industry has been severely hit by the spread of COVID-19. Since March, U.S. movie theaters have been closed, causing a series of delays in new film releases. It is inevitably difficult to hold the Academy Awards ceremony based solely on films released this year. This is the fourth time the event has been postponed. The Academy postponed the ceremony by one week in 1938 due to flooding in Los Angeles. In 1968, it was delayed by two days following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and in 1981, it was held one day later after then-President Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington, D.C.

With the postponement of the ceremony, the eligibility review period for submissions has been extended to February 28 next year. The nominees for films and performers will be announced on March 15 next year.

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