An Oscar Statue is displayed at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball press preview at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center, in Hollywood, California, on January 31, 2020.
VALERIE MACON / AFPThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has relaxed a rule in the best original score category for next year’s Oscars. To be eligible, the rules used to require a score to comprise a minimum of 60% of the total music in the film. (The rest of the music could consist of new or old songs that were not part of the original score.) Going forward, the score need only comprise 35% of the total music in the film.
That was one of several rule changes for the upcoming 94th annual Academy Awards that were announced Wednesday (June 30). The changes were voted on by the Academy’s board of governors.
In the best original song category, going forward, no more than five songs from any film may be submitted. Previously, there was no limit on the number of songs that could be submitted from a film. No more than two songs from any film may be nominated, same as before.
The board also approved rules and campaign regulations for the 94th Academy Awards.
As previously announced, the eligibility period for Academy Awards consideration will return to the standard Dec. 31 deadline. A feature film must have a qualifying release date between March 1 and Dec. 31 of this year to qualify.
With theatrical exhibition still impacted by the pandemic, eligibility requirements for the 94th Academy Awards will be consistent with the addendums made for the 93rd awards season. They can be found here.
For films that open in theaters, the six qualifying U.S. metropolitan areas are Los Angeles County, the city of New York, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta. Following this year, the Academy intends to expand the qualifying requirements for the 95th awards.
Additionally, beginning with the 94th Academy Awards, the best picture category will be set at 10 nominees, rather than a fluctuating number of nominations from year to year. This change was first announced a year ago.
Here’s a summary of changes in other categories:
In the documentary short subject, animated short film and live action short film categories, the shortlist will expand from 10 to 15 films.
In the sound category, there will now be a preliminary round of voting for the sound award to determine a shortlist of 10 films. Prior to nominations voting, sound branch members will be invited to a presentation of the shortlisted achievements, similar to the process in the visual effects and makeup & hairstyling categories. The entire sound branch will vote to select the shortlist as well as nominations.
In the international feature film category, key rule amendments made in the preliminary round of voting for the 93rd Awards and approved in January 2021 remain unchanged. This includes an expanded shortlist of 15 films and members from all Academy branches being invited to opt in and participate in the preliminary and nominations rounds of voting. Members must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.
Submission deadlines are as follows:
Documentary short subject – Oct. 15
Animated short film – Oct. 15
Live action short film – Oct. 15
Animated feature film – Nov. 1
Documentary feature – Nov. 1
International feature film – Nov. 1
Original score – Nov. 1
Original song – Nov. 1
General entry categories – Nov. 15
Campaign regulations, which specify how companies and individuals may market to Academy members, were also updated. The mailings of DVDs, CDs and physical screenplays are discontinued starting this year. Access to the Academy Screening Room will continue to be made available for all eligible releases. Digital links to materials will be permitted.
For the complete 94th Academy Awards rules, visit oscars.org/rules.
NEWS
Rise Against have released a new single, ‘Nod’, their first new music since 2022.
The new track kicks off the punk band’s “inspired next chapter” and was produced by Catherine Marks. “I swear to God this can’t wait,” vocalist and lyricist Tim McIlrath sings at the top of the song’s chorus. “Not one more minute, one more day.”
“Nod is about the solace we find in community,” said McIlrath in a press release. “It’s about the comfort in knowing that we are not alone. This comfort can temper our anger and our frustration, at least temporarily.”
‘Nod’ follows the band’s 2021 album ‘Nowhere Generation’. It was followed by an EP titled ‘Nowhere Sessions’ which included live versions of songs from the album.
Tracks such as ‘Talking To Ourselves’, ‘Broken Dreams, Inc.’ and the LP’s titular single were re-imagined as live recordings, as well as a cut of their 2008 song ‘Savior’ and covers of Misfits‘ ‘Hybrid Moments’ and Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s ‘Fortunate Son’.
Check out ‘Nod’ below:
the release of ‘Nod’ arrives just before Rise Against head out on a UK and European tour alongside L.S. Dunes and Sondaschule.
They’ll kick off the shows on January 28 in Dublin, before heading to Belfast on 29. Then, in February, they’ll head to Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Zurich and more, before wrapping up the tour in Vienna on February 22.
The tour also includes stops at London’s O2 Brixton Academy, Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse and Birmingham’s O2 Academy on February 6, 8 and 9 respectively. You can find a full list of dates further down. You can find tickets to the UK and Ireland dates here.
JANUARY
28 – 3Olympia – Dublin, Ireland
29 – Telegraph – Belfast, Northern Ireland
FEBRUARY
2 – L’Olympia – Paris, France
4 – O13 – Tillburg, Netherlands
5 – Forrest National – Brussels, Belgium
6 – O2 Brixton Academy – London, UK
8 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester, UK
9 – O2 Academy – Birmingham, UK
12 – Velodrom – Berlin, Germany
14 – Mitsubishi Electric Hall – Düsseldorf, Germany
15 – Sporthalle – Hamburg, Germany
17 – Zenith – Munich, Germany
18 – myticket Jahrhunderthalle – Frankfurt, Germany
21 – Volkshaus, Zurich, Switzerland
22 –Stadthalle – Vienna, Austria
