Like a teacher scolding students for not doing their homework, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has instituted a key rule change for the 2026 Oscars, requiring that voters watch all the nominated movies in each category to participate in final voting.
“Academy members must now watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round for the Oscars,” the procedural change reads. It’s unclear how voters are expected to prove they have watched the nominated films, but the requirement is now at least in writing.
The announcement also features the Academy’s first official statement on whether the use of AI impacts eligibility: “With regard to Generative Artificial Intelligence and other digital tools used in the making of the film, the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination. The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award.”
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Other notable rules changes include that final ballots will now list the names of all designated nominees, in addition to the nominated movie. Eligibility and voting rules for the inaugural Oscar for Achievement in Casting have also been codified. This includes a preliminary round of voting to create a shortlist of 10 films. Nominations voting will then be preceded by a “bake-off” presentation of the shortlisted achievements, including a Q&A with designated nominees.
Additionally, Academy members who view all 15 shortlisted movies in the Animated Short Film category will now be able to vote in the nominations round. There’s also a new preliminary round of voting for the Cinematography category, narrowing down a shortlist to between 10 and 20 films.
The eligibility requirement for the International Feature Film category has also been updated to read: “The submitting country must confirm that creative control of the film was largely in the hands of citizens, residents, or individuals with refugee or asylum status in the submitting country.”
In another procedural update, the submission deadlines for Best Original Song and Best Original Score have been separated, with the former landing on Wednesday, October 15th, 2025, and the latter on Monday, November 3rd, 2025.
See the full list of rules and campaign promotional regulations for the 98th Oscars here. The ceremony is scheduled to air live on ABC on Sunday, March 15th, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.
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