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The Academy has rolled out a major update to Oscar rules ahead of the 99th ceremony, tightening protections around artificial intelligence while widening entry paths for international films. The changes aim to protect creative jobs and modernize eligibility as filmmaking tools evolve.
What the Academy changed for the 99th Oscars
The new rules cover acting, writing and international feature submissions. They reflect the Academy’s effort to adapt to technological shifts while keeping awards rooted in human creativity.
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- Human-only acting eligibility: Only performances demonstrably delivered by consenting human performers are eligible.
- Human-authored screenplays: Screenplay submissions must be written by humans; generative AI use can be investigated.
- Festival winners count: Films that win top prizes at major international festivals can qualify for the international feature race.
- Multiple nominations allowed: Actors may now earn more than one nomination in the same category if multiple performances receive enough votes.
AI and performances: protecting actors and writers
The Academy explicitly bars AI-generated personas from acting categories unless a human performed the role with clear consent. This closes the door for synthetic stars that emerged in recent months.
Producers behind AI-created performers have not publicly responded to the Academy’s specification. The policy signals the Academy’s priority: preserve jobs and credit living artists.
The screenplay rule requires human authorship and gives Academy reviewers the authority to probe suspected use of generative AI in submitted scripts.
How acting nominations can change under the new rules
Historically, an actor could receive only one nomination per category. The Academy removed that cap.
- Now, if an actor’s multiple roles all rank in the top five, each can be nominated.
- This opens a rare possibility where a single performer could occupy several nomination slots.
- Industry observers call such sweep scenarios unlikely, but the option now exists.
Redefining international feature eligibility to favor filmmakers
The Academy has reframed how international features qualify. Winning a major festival top award—such as Cannes’ Palme d’Or, Venice’s Golden Lion or Sundance’s World Cinema Grand Jury Prize—now creates a direct path into contention.
That departs from the old model where a single film represented a country. Under the revision, multiple films from the same nation may compete, and recognition emphasizes the filmmakers over geopolitical selection.
Industry reaction and governance behind the changes
Responses on social platforms have been mostly supportive, especially around the human-only stance for acting and writing.
The Awards Committee drafted the changes in consultation with executive branches, including the International Feature Film Executive Committee and the Scientific and Technical Awards Executive Committee.
The updated rules take effect for films released in 2026 and will govern eligibility for the next Oscars cycle.
