As many as 10 movies may now be nominated for the best-picture Oscar.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards its golden statuettes, known as Oscars, each year in a ceremony usually held in late February. Voting members of the academy determine the nominees for the various categories about a month earlier. The academy has formulated 27 rules that govern the awards process, with rules two through five particularly addressing nominations. Basically, voters in a certain category rank their favorites among eligible entries, and those receiving the most votes become nominees.
General Eligibility
For a motion picture to be eligible for an award -- and thus its actors, music, artistic crew and technical people -- it must run at least 40 minutes in length. In addition, it must have been offered for paid admission at a commercial cinema in Los Angeles County, California for seven consecutive days during the calendar year being judged. Any film first shown on broadcast or cable television, transmitted over the Internet or distributed through any channel besides motion picture theaters is not eligible for an Oscar in any category, according to the academy's rules.
Eligibility Exceptions
Many categories have special qualifications; some run counter to the general eligibility requirements. If an actor or actress is included in first ballot nominations for the lead and supporting categories for the same role, the nomination will be under the category receiving the most votes. However, the same performer may become a nominee in both categories for different roles. To be eligible for Oscar consideration, a documentary feature film has to not only complete a qualifying run in a Los Angeles theater, but must also screen for seven days in a Borough of Manhattan, New York movie house. Non-English-speaking countries may submit their best motion pictures for selection by a Motion Picture Academy panel for the foreign language film category. Nominations are limited to only one picture from each country.
First Ballot for Nominations
Before nominations are due, the academy sends voting members the annual "Reminder List of Eligible Releases." Screenings may be held so that voters can view any productions they missed. Alternately, may receive DVDs. From the field of eligibles, academy members select those they consider best and rank them. Almost all categories allow five nominations. Exceptions are animated feature films which allow three or five, depending on the number of such films made that year, and the best picture category, now accepting up to 10 nominations.
Changes to Best Picture Nominations
For over 80 years, a total of five movies always appeared on the final ballot for best motion picture of the year. In 2009, the academy expanded the field to 10 nominees. According to a Los Angeles Times article, this was a bid to attract a larger audience for the televised Academy Awards ceremony by including more pictures popular with a wide movie-going public. The February 2010 telecast actually showed a boost in ratings, but the next year's show suffered a 10 percent decline in viewers. Therefore, the academy changed its rules again in June 2011 to accommodate a variable number of nominees in the race. Under the new system, from five to 10 movies will compete in the best-picture contest each year to add an "element of surprise," according to the academy's announcement. Any motion picture ranked first by at least five percent of voters will be on the final ballot.
