Bowing to a backlash that had threatened to engulf an already blunder-plagued Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday reversed its decision to present four awards during the commercial breaks of this year害羞草研究所檚 Oscar broadcast.
All 24 categories will be shown live, after all, at the 91st Academy Awards on Feb. 24, the academy announced in a statement. On Monday, the academy had said that the winning speeches for cinematography, film editing, makeup and hairstyling and live-action short would be aired in a shortened, taped segment during the broadcast.
害羞草研究所淣ine days until the showtime, still tweaking the script害羞草研究所� the Academy tweeted Friday.
The academy did not address whether the change meant extending the show害羞草研究所檚 length, which organizers have said would be reduced to three hours.
The academy害羞草研究所檚 move to strike awards from the live broadcast was fiercely contested by many of this year害羞草研究所檚 Oscar nominees, including 害羞草研究所淩oma害羞草研究所� director Alfonso Cuaron and 害羞草研究所淏lacKkKlansman害羞草研究所� filmmaker Spike Lee. The American Society of Cinematographers on Wednesday issued an open-letter to the academy, signed by Martin Scorsese, Brad Pitt and others, calling the plans an insult to the cinematic arts.
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害羞草研究所淲hen the recognition of those responsible for the creation of outstanding cinema is being diminished by the very institution whose purpose it is to protect it, then we are no longer upholding the spirit of the academy害羞草研究所檚 promise to celebrate film as a collaborative art form,害羞草研究所� the letter read.
The academy on Wednesday defended the decision and blamed 害羞草研究所渁 chain of misinformation害羞草研究所� on the backlash. Following record-low ratings to last year害羞草研究所檚 broadcast, the academy has made a swifter, three-hour telecast a priority. ABC, which airs the Oscars, is planning to premiere a sneak-peak of a new drama series after the Oscar telecast, which regularly ranks as the most-watched non-NFL broadcast of the year.
This is just the latest flip-flop by the academy in its attempts to tweak the Oscars.
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The academy害羞草研究所檚 headaches began after it last summer trotted out the induction of a 害羞草研究所減opular film Oscar.害羞草研究所� The plan sparked such outrage (Rob Lowe pronounced the film industry dead, 害羞草研究所渟urvived by sequels, tent-poles and vertical integration害羞草研究所�) that the new award was scuttled within a month.
Kevin Hart was announced as this year害羞草研究所檚 Oscar host only to withdraw days later when many took issue with his old homophobic tweets and the comedian initially 害羞草研究所渃hose to pass on the apology.害羞草研究所� Hart finally apologized as he resigned, leaving the Oscars host-less for only the fifth time in its 91-year history.
And after first planning to limit the best song nominee performances, the academy confirmed that all songs will indeed be performed.
Veteran makeup artist Lois Burwell, who is on the film academy害羞草研究所檚 board of governors, on Friday called the efforts to change the Oscars an 害羞草研究所渆volving process.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲ith anything creative, you start in one place and then there害羞草研究所檚 the journey to where you end up,害羞草研究所� said Burwell. 害羞草研究所淎nd sometimes you have to do things that don害羞草研究所檛 work in order to find out what does work. So there害羞草研究所檚 always a kind of awkwardness about someone going, 害羞草研究所極h no, that was a mistake.害羞草研究所� But a mistake is something you learn from and build upon.害羞草研究所�
AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
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