The full schedule for the 2013 Academy Awards has been set, as the major change is the date for the nominations announcement has been moved up.
Apart from the date for the nominations shifting, the major change for this year’s Oscars is the introduction of electronic voting. The press release from The Academy says electronic voting is optional and they “conducted extensive research and held numerous focus groups with its members to ensure a smooth transition and widespread adoption.”
Here’s the full schedule of events leading up to the 85th Academy Awards.
The key dates are:
Friday, November 30, 2012 | Official Screen Credits due
Saturday, December 1, 2012 | Governors Awards presentation
Monday, December 17, 2012 | Nominations voting begins
Thursday, January 3, 2013 | Nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT
Thursday, January 10, 2013 | Nominations announced 5:30 a.m. PT, Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater
Monday, February 4, 2013 | Nominees Luncheon
Friday, February 8, 2013 | Final voting begins
Saturday, February 9, 2013 | Scientific and Technical Awards presentation
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 | Final voting ends 5 p.m. PT
Sunday, February 24, 2013 | 85th Academy Awards presentation
The press release notes the change in the nominations announcement comes “in an effort to provide members and the public a longer period of time to see the nominated films.” This is, of course, a double-edged sword, as voters now have five fewer days to vote for the nominees.
In addition to the introduction of electronic voting systems, The Academy notes the extent of resources available to the voting members. Via the press release, “The Academy will make several voting resources available to members during the transition, including the installation of assisted voting stations in Los Angeles, New York and London, a 24-hour telephone help line during voting periods, and paper ballots.”
In the coming weeks and months we’ll be vamping up our coverage of the Oscars, with the possibility of some (very) in-depth coverage down the road. In the meantime, we can only enjoy ourselves as Oscar season is finally upon us.