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Hollywood’s awards industry expressed significant frustration on Tuesday after learning that the Oscars will once again take place in mid-March next year.
In the wake of the Oscars, representatives from leading studios and public relations firms gathered with Academy officials, urging them to consider shortening the awards season. They pointed to the toll of fatigue and the rising costs associated with prolonged “For Your Consideration” campaigns. Thus, the announcement that the 2027 Oscars are scheduled for March 14, with the 2028 event set for March 5, was not well-received.
“So, that feedback meeting held by the Oscars was purely for show — all voting schedules remain unchanged,” lamented one studio awards executive in a group discussion. Another replied, “It’s just the illusion of feedback.”
Retaining the March date means the Oscars will likely clash once more with the increasingly popular SXSW festival in Austin. Additionally, the nominations are slated to be revealed on January 21, 2027, coinciding with the opening day of the Sundance Film Festival’s new edition in Boulder, Colorado.
This decision comes at a time when the Oscars are struggling with viewership. The 98th Academy Awards drew only 17.9 million viewers on ABC and Hulu, marking a 9% drop from the previous year’s 19.7 million, and the lowest audience since 2022.
The festivals, junkets, screenings, podcasts, roundtables and galas are enough to make a seasoned publicist question their career choice. “By comparison, Sisyphus had a finite schedule,” one publicity exec quipped upon hearing the news.
Journalists are feeling the heat, too, with many newsrooms (especially at the trades) having to spread themselves thin during the already-packed trophy season. “I used to be the biggest supporter of long seasons, and this year just wiped me out. It was too long, and people were so over it,” one veteran film awards journalist says. “There was fatigue in the business.”
When YouTube takes over the Oscars in 2029 (and the show moves from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre to L.A. Live in DTLA), we can think of at least one way for the Google-owned company to start winning over a skeptical and exhausted Hollywood.