Oscar key dates 2026, rules for casting, cinematography and AI

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved new award rules, updated campaign promotional regulations and key dates for the 98th Oscars to come.

The voting period of appointments will take place from Monday January 12 to Friday January 16. Official nominees will be announced on Thursday January 22, followed by the annual Lunch of Oscar Nominés on Tuesday, February 10. The final vote to determine the winners will open on Wednesday, February 26 and will close on Wednesday March 5 to 5 before the live ceremony.

Among the most notable changes are the revised voting requirements, the introduction of an achievement in the casting price and the clarified advice on the use of generative artificial intelligence in film production. Updated rules also include expanding eligibility for international filmmakers and new time of submission in several categories.

In a key procedure change, the members of the academy are now required to see all the nominated films in a category to be eligible to vote during the final round. Although it was surprising that it was not already an official requirement, questions remain on the way in which the academy plans to check the conformity and apply the rule.

Similar to the way BAFTA leads its vote, the members of the Academy will only be able to access the final bulletins for the categories in which they confirmed that they had watched all the nominated films. The Academy will monitor the visualization activity via its screening platform for the Academy reserved for members. For films visible outside the platform – as at festivals, projections or private events – members must submit a form indicating when and where they watched the film. This verification process, previously used in preliminary vote and appointment for categories such as international functionality, animated function and short film, is now applied to all categories. This decision aims to reduce what is called the “tail vote” and to encourage more enlightened decisions of voters.

In addition, all the nominees designated in each category will now appear on the final ballot – an update from previous years when only the title of the film appeared. This is a welcome change for perennial nominees like the songwriter Diane Warren and the designer of his Greg P. Russell.

For the first time in the history of the Oscars, the Academy will present a prize for success in the casting, recognizing the creative collaboration between the casting directors, the filmmakers and the producers in the assembly of the actor of a film. To determine the nominees, the Directors of Casting will examine the eligible films and vote to preselect up to 10 titles, on the basis of the level of creative contribution and demonstrated collaboration during the casting process. The restricted list will then be presented in a dedicated “bake-off” event, where the members of the branch will come from the five-minute coils and will participate in a Q&R with the casting directors.

The casting directors associated with preselected films will be invited to submit a written description of their casting process and a photo grid or a complete distribution list. The branch executive committee will then determine what individuals – no more than two – were mainly casting and received a credit on the screen. In exceptional cases, such as those involving a specialized or multi-localization cast, the committee can consider a third credited individual. Producers and administrators can be consulted in this process, and all eligibility issues will be resolved by the Executive Committee, subject to the approval of the Governors’ Council.

After cooking, only the members of the branch who saw the 10 films will vote to select five nominees. A version published by presentations and distribution equipment will then be made available to all members of the Academy for the final vote, which is open to active and life members. Disputes or eligibility issues must be submitted by a deadline to be determined.

The prize for the best cinematography has also been added to the limited process. The branch of filmmakers will name between 10 and 20 films for examination. Voting for all limited categories – including sound, visual effects and makeup and hairstyle, documentary function, international functionality and three shorts – will take place from December 8 to 12. Currently, 12 categories of craftsmen use short lists, with only the design of production, costume design and films publishing always determined only through the nomination phase.

The Academy also published its first official advice on AI in cinema. The new rules indicate that the use of generative AI or other digital tools will not contribute neither to interfere nor will not bother the chances of a film to be nominated. Instead, voters are invited to assess the degree of human creation involved.

The rule indicates: “With regard to generative artificial intelligence and other digital tools used in the production of the film, the tools contribute or the chances of reaching an appointment. The academy and each branch will judge success, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative author when choosing the film to be attributed. ”

For better image consideration, films must submit proof of submission to producers Guild of America according to their output window. The titles published between January 1 and June 30225 must submit by September 10. Films published between July 1 and December 31, 2025 must submit by November 13. The previous submission calendar is probably intended to avoid confusion, as last season, when six of the 10 best image candidates were initially listed as “nominated to be determined”.

Other rule and campaign changes include:

The key dates of the 2025 Oscar season start in August and take place in live broadcast in March. The complete calendar of submission deadlines, voting periods and special events is available on Oscars.org/rules and are below.

This year, the slate of films seems promising and could include films by Guillermo del Toro (“Frankenstein”), Chloé Zhao (“Hamnet”), Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Smashing Machine” and the “Marty Supreme” of Safdie (Benny Safdie).

All rules and dates for the 98th Academy Awards remain subject to change. The Oscars should take place on March 15, 2026.