The Oscars Just Said “No More Skipping Homework” to Voters 🎬

In a major shake-up, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is putting its foot down: if you wanna vote for the Oscars, you have to watch the movies. Groundbreaking, right?

Starting with the 2026 ceremony, Oscar voters will be required to watch all nominated films in a category before casting their final ballot.

That means no more winging it, no more voting for your friend’s movie because they brought cookies to the last screening, and definitely no more “I just didn’t have time to watch the three-hour black-and-white Hungarian drama.”

Up until now, watching all the films was more of a strong suggestion than a rule — but apparently, too many voters were treating it like the Terms & Conditions on an iPhone update.

RELATED: Conan O’Brien Set to Host the Oscars Again in 2026

Why the Rule Change?

Well, it turns out that whether or not Academy members watch the nominees has a pretty major impact on what wins. And those anonymous “I didn’t finish that one” Oscar ballots floating around each year? Not helping.

The Academy is also cracking down on other hot-button issues like AI in filmmaking, support for refugee directors, and guidelines for the new Best Casting category.

And in case you missed it, Conan O’Brien will be hosting the 2026 Oscars on March 15! (Fingers crossed for a solid monologue and a few fewer awkward play-offs.)