The Academy Is Cutting Kudos to Trim Oscarcast
As part of an attempt to cut the marathon Oscarcast running time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) has voted to trim the honorary awards.
According to the rules for the Academy’s 75th Oscarcast disclosed Tuesday, AMPAS’ board of governors agreed to toughen up the selection process and voting procedures for all honorary nods — the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and honorary Oscars. They will thus limit the number of honoraries presented each year to one or, at most, two.
That should decrease the show’s length. While not every honorary award is presented each year, the recent average has been three per year. This year’s kudocast, which clocked in at a record four-and-a-quarter hours, handed out two honorary Oscars ( Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier), while Arthur Hiller was feted with the Humanitarian nod.
The previous year, Dino De Laurentiis was presented the Thalberg, while Ernest Lehman and Jack Cardiff were given Oscars.
The new procedure requires that two-thirds of the governors be present to vote on an award, and three-fourths of the governors will have to endorse a candidate for a second award. Nominating and voting in all three-award categories will be conducted as a single procedure.
The 75th annual Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 23, 2003.
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