UNITED STATES 7 Mar 2010 Hollywood hosts 82nd Academy Awards

The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony will be held at a later date than usual in 2010, one of two changes for the 82nd Oscars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The second change is described as the most radical revision of the Oscar-night ritual in recent memory. Aimed at winning back audiences for the live broadcast of the ceremony, it expands the pool of Best Picture nominees from five to 10. After record low numbers for the 80th Awards, a change of format helped improve viewer numbers for the 81st Awards.

The low 80th Awards numbers triggered a debate about whether the Oscar voters had drifted too far from the moviegoing public.

The studios are wary of the change, according to a Reuters report, seeing it as costing them more money.

Between 1931 and 1943 the academy usually had 10 best-picture nominees, though in some years it had either eight or 12.

Nomination ballots will be mailed out on 28 Dec and are to be returned by 23 Jan. Nominations will be announced on Feb 2, and final ballots are to be returned to the Academy by Feb 10.

The ceremony will again take place at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and be televised live by the ABC Television Network.

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Studios wary of Oscar's new best-picture rule (Reuters 25 Jun 2009)
http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE55O14220090625?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0