The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it won’t go forward with their earlier decision to start handing out Oscars for “popular” films at the 91st Academy Awards in 2019. The Academy announced the introduction of “popular film” category back in July, but the response wasn’t as positive as they expected. Instead, numerous filmmakers, actors, producers, and other film workers raised their voice against such an idea.
“There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members. We have made changes to the Oscars over the years, including this year, and we will continue to evolve while also respecting the incredible legacy of the last 90 years,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.
While the Academy decided to retract their decision for the time being, the idea to honor the “popular” movies hasn’t been completely abandoned.
In a subsequent interview with NY Times, Hudson said that the Academy would not abandon their effort to “honor excellence across a wider scope of films.”
“We’ve had a lot of positive comments from members about that principle,” – she added.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, however, decided to keep some other previously announced changes for 91st Academy Awards. One of them is that the television broadcast is now limited to three hours which means that Oscars for six to eight categories will be handed out during commercial breaks.
The ceremony of the 91st Academy Awards is scheduled for Sunday, February 24, 2019.
