Academy Awards 2026 – Ceremony on March 15 with New Rules

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the details of the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars). The grand event will be held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. This time, the Academy has introduced some new rules for the awards.

The official Oscar nominations list will be released on January 22, 2026. The Academy mentioned that there will be changes in the voting system across several categories. Every nominated movie must be watched by the Academy members, as confirmed by the organization.

A new category called "Achievement in Casting" has been added this year. The voting for this category will happen in two rounds, and casting directors will go through a few test rounds before the final voting.

In an interesting update, the Academy said that movies made using Artificial Intelligence (AI) will also be considered for nominations. However, they clarified that traditional films will be given more importance, and AI films will not affect the chances of other entries.

Movies released between January 2025 and December 2025 will be eligible for the 2026 Oscars. But for the Music category, the final submission deadline is October 15, 2025.