The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has voted to allow movies that forgo a theatrical run to be eligible for the Oscars. This is a huge change, but a necessary one, especially as not even blockbusters are able to play in front of people in theaters right now, never mind the sort of films which often dominate awards season.
In previous years, streaming platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix had to ensure that any movies they wanted to submit for awards consideration received a limited theatrical run, hence why The Irishman arrived in theaters briefly last year.
As of right now, this is only for next year's Academy Awards, but it could be a sign the Oscars are finally embracing the future (well, present) by acknowledging the importance of films which play at home as well as on the big screen. There are already big questions about next year's ceremony given how few movies are being released, so this could definitely help change things.
As for the Golden Globes, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has made an announcement of their own, as they've suspended the rule that a film must be screened to members at a third-party facility in the greater Los Angeles area. Now, distributors can send a DVD copy or online link.
Even more noteworthy is the fact that all titled which had a theatrical release date planned for March 15th or after will also be considered (the previous cut off date was December 31st).
We'll keep you guys updated if any more changes are made.
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