The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is revealing the new dates for the 2026 Oscars – and some new awards rules. And one is very surprising! The nominations voting period will run from Monday, January 12 through Friday, January 16, 2026. Official nominees will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026 followed by the annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Final voting to determine winners will open Wednesday, February 26, and end on Wednesday, March 5, 2026, 10 days ahead of the live ceremony. Keep reading to find out more… Among the new details, Academy members are required to watch all nominated films within a category to be eligible to vote in the final round. It’s unclear how this will be enforced. All designated nominees in each category will now appear on the final ballot, which differs from previous years, when only the film title appeared. And for the first time in Oscars history, the Academy will present an award for Achievement in Casting, recognizing the casting directors, producers and filmmakers who put together an acting ensemble. The Casting Directors Branch will review eligible films and vote to shortlist up to 10 titles, based on the level of creative input and collaboration demonstrated during the casting process. The shortlist will then have a dedicated “Bake-Off” event, where branch members will view 5-minute reels and do a Q&A with the casting directors, per the Academy. Following the Bake-Off, only Casting Branch members who have viewed all 10 films will vote to select five nominees. An edited version of the presentations and cast materials will then be made available to all Academy members for final voting. There’s also now guidance on AI in filmmaking. In the new rules, the use of generative AI or other digital tools will not affect a film’s chances of being nominated. “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,” they declared.
For Best Picture consideration, films must submit proof of submission to the Producers Guild of America based on their release window. Titles released between January 1 and June 30, 2025, must submit by September 10. Films released between July 1 and December 31, 2025, must submit by November 13.
Other changes include:
- 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.)
- For the Music categories, there will now be a separate, earlier deadline of Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 5 p.m. PT for song submissions. Original Score submissions will be due no later than Monday, November 3, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT.
See the full timeline leading up to the 2026 Oscars ceremony…
Thursday, August 14, 2025 – First submission deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, and Live Action Short Film categories
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 – First submission deadline for General Entry categories, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture, and RAISE form
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 – Submission deadline for International Feature Film
Monday, October 6, 2025 – Student Academy Awards
Thursday, October 9, 2025 – Final submission deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Short Film, and Live Action Short Film categories
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 – Submission deadline for Music (Original Song)
Thursday, October 16, 2025 – Final submission deadline for Documentary Feature Film
Monday, November 3, 2025 – Submission deadline for Music (Original Score)
Thursday, November 13, 2025 – Final submission deadline for General Entry categories, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture, and RAISE form
Sunday, November 16, 2025 – Governors Awards
Monday, December 8, 2025 (9 a.m. PT) – Preliminary voting begins
Friday, December 12, 2025 (5 p.m. PT) – Preliminary voting ends
Tuesday, December 16, 2025 – Oscars Shortlists Announcement
Saturday, January 10 / Sunday, January 11, 2026 – Casting, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, and Visual Effects nominating screenings (bake-offs)
Monday, January 12, 2026 (9 a.m. PT) – Nominations voting begins
Friday, January 16, 2026 (5 p.m. PT) – Nominations voting ends
Thursday, January 22, 2026 – Oscars Nominations Announcement
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 – Oscars Nominees Event
Thursday, February 26, 2026 (9 a.m. PT) – Finals voting begins
Thursday, March 5, 2026 (5 p.m. PT) – Finals voting ends
Sunday, March 15, 2026 – 98th Oscars
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Scientific and Technical Awards
Photos: Getty
Posted to: 2026 Oscars, Oscars
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