In a letter to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Executive Director Dawn Hudson said the organization had the “highest turnout ever seen during voting” in the 94 years of history of the Oscar awards.
Although Hudson did not specify the number of votes received, the Oscars are chosen among the 9,487 members of the Hollywood Academy, from 82 countries, which has been increasing its ranks for several years to promote diversity.
“They have led us to the highest participation at any time in the history of the Academy. Ballots arrived from 82 countries. That’s a lot of love for cinema!” Dawn assured.
However, despite the record number of votes, voters have had to choose between fewer films than in previous years.
Only 94 films compete for the Oscar nomination for Best Film of the Year, which is the lowest record in the last ten years due to the pandemic.
One of the reasons that explains this significant drop is that the eligibility period for this edition is only 10 months, since last year, when the gala was postponed to the end of April, it was also extended the deadline for films released in January and February of 2021, which competed in last year’s awards.
Even so, the Academy has maintained the exceptional modification it made to its regulations to admit to the competition films that have been released directly via streaming, without going to theaters, although on the condition that they had planned a theatrical release, made impossible by the coronavirus.
Now, after the end of the voting period, all that remains is for the Academy to announce the nominees on February 8 for that in the ceremony of 27 in March, at the legendary Dolby Theater in Hollywood, the awards will be given to their winners.