Future Academy Awards ceremonies will look a little differently.
Ahead of the 2024 Oscars, which will take place March 10, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to make Short Films and Feature Animation Branch two distinct branches.
“The Academy is dedicated to advancing and evolving with our growing global membership and with the film industry,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a press statement. “Creating distinct identities for these unique and vital components of our cinema community is part of this needed progress.”
The Animation Branch represents approximately 700 Academy members working within every aspect of the animation industry. The branch will now have two governor representatives on the Board of Governors and oversee the Animated Feature Film and Animated Short Film awards. The Animated Feature Film Award category was established in 2001.
Meanwhile, the Short Films Branch comprises more than 200 Academy members across narrative and non-fiction short filmmaking. The branch will have one governor representative on the Board of Governors to be elected for a term starting in the 2024-2025 fiscal year and oversee the Live Action Short Film award.
The Academy now has 19 branches total, representing all facets of the film industry. The Board of Governors will remain at its current size of 55 members.
“As both the Academy’s shorts and animation communities have grown, and to ensure they continue to thrive, the need for two individual branches became increasingly apparent,” Academy Short Films and Feature Animation Branch governors Bonnie Arnold, Jinko Gotoh, and Marlon West said in a joint statement. “We’re excited about the future of these two branches and thank our fellow governors for their support.”
The Academy previously announced a new annual competitive Academy Award for Achievement in Casting. The Oscar category will debut in 2026 and honor the films released in 2025.
Per the Oscar telecast deal with ABC, the Academy cannot make announcements of a win for a new category on the telecast until 2028. However, honors can be delivered at the Governors Ball or Technical Awards or other events.
