The Academy’s Board of Governors has just announced its 2025 awards seasons dates as well as a series of approved awards rules and campaign promotional regulations for the 98th Academy Awards. As previously announced, the 98th Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 15, 2026. In a procedural change, Academy members must now watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final Oscars round. All designated nominees will also be included on the final ballot. Category rules for eligibility and voting for the inaugural Academy Award for Achievement in Casting have been codified. There will be a preliminary round of voting to determine a shortlist of 10 films, and prior to nominations voting, Casting Directors Branch members will be invited to view a “bake-off” presentation of the shortlisted achievements, including a Q&A with the designated nominees. Other awards rules changes include: In the rules for film eligibility, the following language regarding Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been introduced, as recommended by the Academy’s Science and Technology Council: With regard to Generative Artificial Intelligence and other digital tools used in the making of the film, the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination. The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award. For consideration in the Best Picture category, films released from January 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025, must have shown proof of submission for Producers Guild of America (PGA) mark certification or awards-only determination no later than September 10, 2025. Films released from July 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025, must have shown proof of submission to the PGA no later than November 13, 2025. In the Animated Short Film category, voting privileges in the nominations round will be extended to all Academy members who opt in to participate. Members must view all 15 shortlisted films to be eligible to vote in the category. In the Cinematography category, there will now be a preliminary round of voting for the Cinematography award to determine a shortlist of between 10 and 20 films. In the International Feature Film category, the eligibility requirement regarding creative control has been updated to be inclusive of filmmakers with refugee or asylum status. The submitting country must confirm that creative control of the film was largely in the hands of citizens, residents, or individuals with refugee or asylum status in the submitting country. For the Music categories, there will now be a separate, earlier deadline of Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 5 p.m. PT for song submissions. Original Score submissions will be due no later than Monday, November 3, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT. Academy key dates, including submission deadlines and voting periods, for the 2025 Oscars season are as follows: First submission deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories - Thursday, August 14, 2025 First submission deadline for General Entry categories, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture and RAISE form - Wednesday, September 10, 2025 Submission deadline for International Feature Film - Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Student Academy Awards - Monday, October 6, 2025 Final submission deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories - Thursday, October 9, 2025 Submission deadline for Music (Original Song) - Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Final submission deadline for Documentary Feature Film - Thursday, October 16, 2025 Submission deadline for Music (Original Score) - Monday, November 3, 2025 Final submission deadline for General Entry categories, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture and RAISE form - Thursday, November 13, 2025 Governors Awards - Sunday, November 16, 2025 Preliminary voting begins 9 a.m. PT -       Monday, December 8, 2025 Preliminary voting ends 5 p.m. PT - Friday, December 12, 2025 Oscars Shortlists Announcement - Tuesday, December 16, 2025 Casting, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound and Visual Effects nominating screenings (bake-offs) - Sat. Jan. 10 / Sun. Jan. 11, 2026 Nominations voting begins 9 a.m. PT - Monday, January 12, 2026 Nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT - Friday, January 16, 2026 Oscars Nominations Announcement - Thursday, January 22, 2026 Oscars Nominees Event - Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Finals voting begins 9 a.m. PT - Thursday, February 26, 2026 Finals voting ends 5 p.m. PT - Thursday, March 5, 2026 98th Oscars - Sunday, March 15, 2026 Scientific and Technical Awards - Tuesday, April 28, 2026 The Academy also updated and clarified formatting and language in the campaign promotional regulations for the 98th Oscars. The campaign promotional regulations specify how motion picture companies and individuals directly associated with Oscars-eligible motion pictures may promote such motion pictures, achievements and performances to Academy members and how Academy members may promote Oscars-eligible motion pictures, achievements and performances. Substantive changes to the campaign promotional regulations include: Oscar-qualifying film festivals may now have access to approved mailing houses to share information about festival programming with Academy members. Public communications (including any social media posts, reposts, shares and comments) may not disparage the techniques used in or subject matter of any motion picture. Any Academy member, motion picture company or individual directly associated with an eligible motion picture found to be in violation will be subject to penalization. All rules and dates for the 98th Academy Awards are subject to change. For the complete 98th Academy Awards rules and campaign promotional regulations, visit oscars.org/rules. Source: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.