Timeline, Rules For 98th Academy Awards Set

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday announced rules and campaign regulations for the upcoming 98th Oscars, which will be held March 15, 2026. Chief among the changes is a new procedural demand that voters must now watch all nominated films in each category in order to be eligible to vote in the final round. How they expect members to prove they have watched is not spelled out in the AMPAS release today, but this is a key change in rules that never laid it out quite like this before.

Another — and welcome — key change is that all designated nominees will have their names included on the final ballot. Previously. in many categories. it was just the name of the nominated movie, not the person nominated.

Meanwhile, category rules for eligibility and voting for the inaugural Academy Award for Achievement in Casting have been codified. There will be a preliminary round of voting to determine a shortlist of 10 films, and prior to nominations voting Casting Directors Branch members will be invited to view a “bake-off” presentation of the shortlisted achievements including a Q&A with the designated nominees. There still is no mention about where the inaugural Casting Oscar would be presented, whether on the Oscar show itself, during the Governors Awards, or at some other place.

Other substantive rules changes

In the rules for film eligibility, the following language regarding Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been introduced, as recommended by the Academy’s Science and Technology Council:

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.

For consideration in the Best Picture category, films released from January 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025, must have shown proof of submission for Producers Guild of America (PGA) mark certification or awards-only determination no later than September 10, 2025. Films released from July 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025, must have shown proof of submission to the PGA no later than November 13, 2025.

In the Animated Short Film category, voting privileges in the nominations round will be extended to all Academy members who opt in to participate. Members must view all 15 shortlisted films to be eligible to vote in the category.

​​​​​​In the Cinematography category, there will now be a preliminary round of voting for the Cinematography award to determine a shortlist of between 10 and 20 films.

In the International Feature Film category, the eligibility requirement regarding creative control has been updated to be inclusive of filmmakers with refugee or asylum status.
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.

Academy key dates, including submission deadlines and voting periods, for the 2025 Oscars season are as follows:
 

The Academy also updated and clarified formatting and language in the campaign promotional regulations for the 98th Oscars. The regulations specify how motion picture companies and individuals directly associated with Oscars-eligible motion pictures may promote such motion pictures, achievements and performances to Academy members and how Academy members may promote Oscars-eligible motion pictures, achievements and performances.

Substantive changes to the campaign promotional regulations include: Oscar-qualifying film festivals may now have access to approved mailing houses to share information about festival programming with Academy members.
 
Public communications (including any social media posts, reposts, shares and comments) may not disparage the techniques used in or subject matter of any motion picture. Any Academy member, motion picture company or individual directly associated with an eligible motion picture found to be in violation will be subject to penalization The latter could be referring to most recently social media chatter about the use of AI for vocal tweaking in The Brutalist and other films during the past Oscar season.

For the complete 98th Academy Awards rules and campaign promotional regulations, visit oscars.org/rules.