Oscars Announce More Changes

Just last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences told us that they'd be altering the best picture category for the award ceremony's 82nd year. Now, they're letting us know two more changes will be made to the 2010 Oscars: one to the best song category and another to the presentation of the various testimonial awards.

Traditionally, the best song nominations are decided upon by a "bake-off." During this process, voters watch film clips featuring the eligible songs and rank each one on a scale of six to 10, considering the artistic contribution the song makes to the film rather than its commercial success. The previous rules mandated that no fewer than three and no more than five songs be nominated. Under the new rules, there can still be no more than five songs nominated each year, but there is no longer a minimum; in fact, it's entirely possible there won't be any musicians thanking the Academy some years. In order to receive an official Oscar nod, a song must receive an average score at least 8.25 from voters. If only one song makes the cut, the entry with the second-highest rating will also be nominated, but if every tune falls below that mark, the category will be dismissed until the following year.

Although the special Oscars—the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and other honorary Oscars for career excellence—will still be awarded, they will no longer be included in the telecast. Instead, the awards will be decided upon and announced in September, and will be given out at an exclusive black-tie event in November. The addition of this event will both streamline the broadcast, which has suffered from low ratings in recent years, and allow ample time to pay tribute to the recipients of the achievement awards.

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