Academy Awards Won’t Unveil ‘Popular’ Oscar This Year

teThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday that the new “popular” film category announced earlier this year won’t be making its debut at the 91st Academy Awards. “The Academy has recognized that implementing any new award nine months into the year creates challenges for films that have already been released,” the group wrote. The statement also said that the Academy would continue to “examine and seek additional input regarding this new category.” Academy CEO Dawn Hudson wrote that the award requires “further discussion” with Academy members. “There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award,” Hudson said. The 91st Oscars will not be telecast live, and the broadcast will only be three hours long. The backlash after the Academy announced the new award in August was fierce, with some accusing the show of tarnishing its credibility for “relevance and ratings.”