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Back to the old ways. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the 2023 Oscars broadcast will once again include all 23 award categories.
“I can confirm that all categories will be included in the live telecast,” Bill Kramer, the CEO of AMPAS, told Variety in a statement on Tuesday, November 29. “We are committed to having a show that celebrates the artisans, the arts and sciences and the collaborative nature of moviemaking. This is very much what the mission of the Academy is, and I am very hopeful that we can do a show that celebrates all components of moviemaking in an entertaining and engaging way.”
The news comes after the 2022 Oscars ceremony omitted eight technical categories from the main telecast: sound, original score, makeup and hairstyling, documentary short, film editing, production design, animated short and live action short. The move was met with backlash from film professionals as well as casual fans of the Academy Awards.
Jessica Chastain, who was nominated for (and ultimately won) best actress at this year’s ceremony, threatened to skip red carpet interviews if they conflicted with the pre-show awarding of the makeup and hairstyling trophy.
“The most important thing for me is to honor the incredible artisans who work in our industry,” the Zero Dark Thirty actress, 45, explained during a March episode of the “Next Best Picture” podcast. “So much attention is on the actors, we’re like the face in some ways, because you go to a movie and you see us. A lot of people don’t understand how beyond an actor a performance is. Look at this incredible makeup team: Tammy Faye goes through three decades.”
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When Chastain accepted her award later that month, she gave a shout-out to the “incredible” hair and makeup team who worked on The Eyes of Tammy Faye: Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh. “[They] really helped me find her,” the California native explained.
The American Cinema Editors organization, meanwhile, protested the decision in a statement. “We are deeply disappointed by the Academy’s decision to alter the way certain categories, including film editing, will be presented in the Oscars telecast,” the group’s board of directors said in February. “It sends a message that some creative disciplines are more vital than others. Nothing could be further from the truth and all who make movies know this.”
Meanwhile, producer Will Packer, who helmed the 2022 telecast, defended the choice to cut eight categories, pointing to the fact that clips of previously recorded speeches would be spliced throughout the live broadcast.
“This is about extending the show so that we can give all these amazing craftsmen and women their due, and they’re all going to have it,” the Girls Trip producer, 48, told Vanity Fair in March. “And so I appreciate people who are passionate about the show and who have an opinion about the best way to adjust and change the show. I think changes needed to be made. You’ve got to shake things up.”
The 2023 Oscars will air on ABC Sunday, March 12, 2023 with Jimmy Kimmel returning to host.
