The Academy Awards have been officially rescheduled to April.
The annual film awards ceremony – also known as the Oscars – were expected to take place on February 28, 2021, but they will now take place on April 25, 2021, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement: "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. 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 penalised for something beyond anyone’s control. This coming Oscars and the opening of our new museum will mark an historic moment, gathering movie fans around the world to unite through cinema."
The eligibility has also been extended. It originally began on January 1, 2020 and was expected to end on December 31, 2020. However, it has now been extended until February 28, 2021, the date of the original ceremony.
It was revealed the date of the 2021 Academy Awards are up for debate, with the committee due to meet via Zoom on Monday (15.06.20) to discuss the date of the 93rd Oscars. However, the governors are said to be waiting to see how the pandemic continues to impact on the industry before deciding on a format for movies’ biggest night.
The annual Governors Awards, which usually take place in November and see honorary Oscars handed out, will also be pushed back.