Oscars Cut The Animated Short Award From Live Telecast

The eight award categories will be presented one hour before the live telecast begins, and the presentation of the pre-recorded awards will be “folded seamlessly” into the live show.

The Academy insists that the nominees in all of the cut categories will be identified on air and the winner’s acceptance speeches will be featured on the live broadcast. Explains the Academy: “For the audience at home, the show’s flow does not change, though it will become tighter and more electric with this new cadence.”

Last year’s Oscars telecast plunged to an all-time low with 10.4 million viewers. However, the Oscars have been in the midst of a decades-long ratings decline since peaking in the late 1990s. Scapegoating short films and craft categories as the cause of this ratings decline defies comprehension.

The Oscars have long been the most prestigious and visible award that a short-form animation filmmaker can hope to win. Denying animation filmmakers a platform to make a live acceptance speech significantly devalues the prestige of the award and reinforces the widely held perception that the Academy doesn’t respect animated filmmaking.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.