Oscars 2021 likely to be postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering postponing Oscars 2021, as the entertainment industry has come to a standstill following a shuffle of release dates of major movies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For now, the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony is slated to be held on February 28, 2021. However, multiple sources have claimed that there are plans to move the Oscars gala to a different date. There is currently no definite plan in place, reports variety.com.

"It's likely they'll be postponed," said a source, adding that potential new dates have not been "fully discussed or formally proposed yet".

Another source



stressed that the "date is currently unchanged at ABC".

Last month, the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences announced a change in rules and eligibility requirements for the 2021 Oscars, making movies of streaming services eligible to vie for the golden statuettes.

The Academy tweaked its Oscar eligibility rules in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The change is not permanent, and will apply to films released this year. The Academy also shared that it will eliminate an Oscar category. The sound mixing and sound editing categories will be combined into one award, reducing the total number of categories presented on the show to 23.