The Academy board has introduced the upcoming awards season timetable culminating within the 98th Oscar ceremony on March 15 2026 and accredited guidelines relating to a number of classes and generative synthetic intelligence.
Within the guidelines for movie eligibility, the next language has been launched on the recommendation of the Academy’s science and expertise council: “With regard to Generative Synthetic Intelligence and different digital instruments used within the making of the movie, the instruments neither assist nor hurt the probabilities of reaching a nomination. The Academy and every department will choose the achievement, taking into consideration the diploma to which a human was on the coronary heart of the artistic authorship when selecting which film to award.”
A procedural change now signifies that Academy members should watch all nominated movies in every class to qualify to vote within the last spherical for the Oscars. All designated nominees may also be included on the ultimate poll.
The preliminary voting window is December 8-12, 2025, and the shortlists will likely be introduced on December 16, 2025. The nominations voting window is January 12-16, 2026, and the nominations are introduced on January 22, 2026. The ultimate voting window runs February 26-March 6, 2026.
In different modifications:
Achievement in casting
The board has established a preliminary spherical of voting to find out a shortlist of 10 movies within the inaugural class. Previous to nominations voting, casting administrators department members will likely be invited to view a “bake-off” presentation of the shortlisted achievements, together with a Q&A with nominees.
Worldwide characteristic movie
The eligibility requirement relating to artistic management has been up to date to incorporate filmmakers with refugee or asylum standing. A submitting nation should affirm that “artistic management of the movie was largely within the fingers of residents, residents, or people with refugee or asylum standing within the submitting nation”.
Greatest image
For consideration on this class, movies launched between January 1 2025 by means of June 30 2025 should present proof of submission for Producers Guild of America (PGA) mark certification or awards-only dedication no later than September 10, 2025. Movies launched between July 1 2025 and December 31 2025 should present proof of submission to the PGA no later than November 13, 2025.
Cinematography
The board has launched a preliminary spherical of voting for the Oscar to find out a shortlist of between 10 and 20 movies.
Music classes
There’ll now be a separate, earlier deadline of October 15 2025 by 5pm PT for tune submissions. Unique rating submissions will likely be due no later than November 3 2025 by 5pm PT.
Animated quick movie
Voting privileges within the nominations spherical will likely be prolonged to all Academy members who decide in to take part. Members should view all 15 shortlisted movies to be eligible to vote within the class.
Marketing campaign promotion
The board has up to date and clarified marketing campaign promotional rules for the 98th Oscars season. These specify how movie firms and people immediately related to Oscars-eligible movies can promote to Academy members, and the way members can promote Oscars-eligible movies, achievements and performances.
Oscar-qualifying festivals could now have entry to accredited mailing homes to share details about competition programming with Academy members.
Public communications (together with any social media posts, reposts, shares and feedback) could not disparage the strategies utilized in or subject material of any movement image. Any Academy member, movement image firm or particular person immediately related to an eligible movement image discovered to be in violation will likely be topic to penalszation.
All guidelines and dates for the 98th Academy Awards are topic to vary.
Key dates
August 14, 2025: First submission deadline for animated quick movie, documentary characteristic movie, documentary quick movie and dwell motion quick movie classes
September 10, 2025: First submission deadline for basic entry classes, animated characteristic movie, finest image and RAISE kind
October 1, 2025: Submission deadline for worldwide characteristic movie
October 6, 2025: Scholar Academy Awards
October 9, 2025: Remaining submission deadline for animated quick movie, documentary quick movie, and dwell motion quick movie classes
October 15, 2025: Submission deadline for music (authentic tune)
October 16, 2025: Remaining submission deadline for documentary characteristic movie
November 3, 2025: Submission deadline for music (authentic rating)
November 13, 2025: Remaining submission deadline for basic entry classes, animated characteristic movie, finest image, and RAISE kind
November 16, 2025: Governors Awards
December 8, 2025: Preliminary voting begins 9am PT
December 12, 2025: Preliminary voting ends 5pm PT
December 16, 2025: Oscars shortlists announcement
January 10/11, 2026: Casting, make-up and hairstyling, sound and visible results nominating screenings (bake-offs)
January 12, 2026: Nominations voting begins 9am PT
January 16, 2026: Nominations voting ends 5pm PT
January 22, 2026: Oscars Nominations Announcement
February 10, 2026: Oscars Nominees Occasion
February 26, 2026: Remaining voting begins 9am PT
March 6, 2026: Remaining voting ends 5pm PT
March 15, 2026: 98th Oscars
April 28, 2026: Scientific and Technical Awards.