The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the ABC Television Network has announced the 93rd Oscars ceremony will move to Sunday, April 25, 2021, as a result of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19.

The 93rd Oscars will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

“For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year. Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone’s control,” said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “This coming Oscars and the opening of our new museum will mark an historic moment, gathering movie fans around the world to unite through cinema.”

“We find ourselves in uncharted territory this year and will continue to work with our partners at the Academy to ensure next year’s show is a safe and celebratory event that also captures the excitement of the opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures,” said Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment.

Industry veterans remembered that in 1938 Oscar Ceremony was pushed back because of flooding in Los Angeles; In 1968, it was delayed by a couple of days following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And in 1981, it was put off for a day after President Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington D.C.

Dates also have shifted for the Academy Awards eligibility period, submission deadlines and related awards season events. The eligibility period for Academy Awards consideration has been extended beyond the standard December 31 deadline: a feature film must now have a qualifying release date between January 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021. The submission deadline for specialty categories (Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, International Feature Film, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film) is December 1, 2020. The submission deadline for general entry categories, including Best Picture, Original Score and Original Song, is now January 15, 2021. Visit oscars.org/rules for the complete 93rd Academy Awards rules, revised with these dates and deadlines.

During this time, it has become necessary to make exceptional changes to the Academy’s standard annual awards schedule. The intent going forward is to ultimately return to awarding excellence for films released in the January-December calendar year. Future eligibility windows and the Oscar show date for 2022 will be announced at a later date.

Academy key dates for the 2020/2021 Oscar season are as follows:

• Preliminary voting begins Monday, February 1, 2021
• Preliminary voting ends Friday, February 5, 2021
• Oscar Shortlists Announcement Tuesday, February 9, 2021
• Nominations voting begins Friday, March 5, 2021
• Nominations voting ends Wednesday, March 10, 2021
• Oscar Nominations Announcement Monday, March 15, 2021
• Oscar Nominees Luncheon Thursday April 15, 2021
• Finals voting begins Thursday April 15, 2021
• Museum Gala Saturday, April 17, 2021
• Finals voting ends Tuesday, April 20, 2021
• Oscars Oscar Sunday, April 25, 2021