One month after Nomadland was dubbed the Best Picture of 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has set the date and eligibility period for next year’s ceremony. The 94th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 27, 2022 at the Dolby Theater. This is one month later than the show’s originally planned date of February 27.
The eligibility period will not be extended, and is in fact reduced due to last year’s extra-long window. To be considered for the 94th Oscars, theatrical films will need to be released between March 1 and December 31, 2021. AMPAS will also extend the addendums that were in place last year, allowing films to skip a theatrical release, due to the ongoing disruption of theatrical availability in New York and Los Angeles. These changes could be permanent, as the press release states, “the Academy intends to expand the qualifying requirements for the 95th Awards.”
Here are the key dates for the 94th Oscar season:
| General entry categories submission deadline | Monday, November 15, 2021 |
| Preliminary voting begins 9 a.m. PT | Friday, December 10, 2021 |
| Preliminary voting ends 5 p.m. PT | Wednesday, December 15, 2021 |
| Oscar Shortlists Announcement | Tuesday, December 21, 2021 |
| Eligibility period ends | Friday, December 31, 2021 |
| Governors Awards | Saturday, January 15, 2022 |
| Nominations voting begins 9 a.m. PT | Thursday, January 27, 2022 |
| Nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT | Tuesday, February 1, 2022 |
| Oscar Nominations Announcement | Tuesday, February 8, 2022 |
| Oscar Nominees Luncheon | Monday, March 7, 2022 |
| Finals voting begins 9 a.m. PT | Thursday, March 17, 2022 |
| Finals voting ends 5 p.m. PT | Tuesday, March 22, 2022 |
| 94th Oscars | Sunday, March 27, 2022 |
With NBC canceling next year’s Golden Globes and the Oscar ceremony pushed back by a month (although a month earlier than this year), it will be interesting to see what this does for a usually very packed season. Might we have some breathing room for those three months after the eligible window closes? Or will Hollywood be busier than ever?
The full updated rules for the 94th Academy Awards will be released in June.
