The Academy has made a significant shift in how its members will vote on the 2026 Oscars. Starting this year, voters are now required to watch all nominated films in their respective categories before casting their votes. It's a move designed to make the voting process cleaner, fairer, and less confusing for the thousands of Academy members who participate each year.
Key Takeaways
- Academy voters must now watch all nominated films in their categories before voting
- The change applies to the 2026 Oscars ceremony
- The new requirement aims to ensure fairer and more informed voting decisions
- This represents a meaningful shift in how the Academy approaches the voting process
Background
The Academy Awards have long been one of Hollywood's most prestigious honors. Every year, thousands of Academy members cast votes across dozens of categories, from Best Picture down to technical awards. But the voting process has always relied on a certain level of trust. Members were expected to have seen the nominated films, but there was no enforcement mechanism. Some voters might have skipped a few nominees, relied on clips or summaries, or made decisions based on incomplete information.
That approach has worked for decades. Yet as the film industry has changed, so too has the way people consume movies. Streaming services, festival premieres, and limited theatrical releases mean that not every nominated film reaches every voter in the same way. The Academy recognized that this created potential problems. If voters hadn't actually seen all the nominees, how could they make truly informed choices?
The 2026 Oscars represent a turning point. The Academy decided it was time to tighten things up. No more guessing games. No more voting on films you haven't watched. The new requirement is straightforward: if you want to vote in a category, you have to have seen every film nominated in that category.
Key Details
What the New Requirement Means
The change is significant in its simplicity. Academy members who want to cast votes will need to confirm that they've watched all the nominees in their voting categories. This isn't a suggestion or a guideline. It's now a requirement for participation.
For some categories, this is no big deal. Best Picture nominees tend to get wide theatrical releases, and most Academy members will have seen them anyway. But for technical categories or international films, the requirement could mean more work. A sound designer voting on Best Sound might need to seek out films that had limited releases. A cinematographer voting in that category would need to do the same.
The Academy has made accommodations for this. They're not hosting post-nominations screenings anymore, which was the old system. Instead, voters will need to arrange their own viewing. That could mean streaming, renting, or finding other ways to watch the films. The Academy is essentially saying: it's your responsibility to see these movies if you want to vote.
This puts the burden on individual voters. It's a departure from the past, when the Academy would often organize screenings to make things easier. Now, members have to be more proactive. They need to plan ahead and make sure they've seen everything before voting begins.
Why This Matters
The timing isn't random. The Academy has been under pressure for years to improve its voting practices. There have been controversies about voting blocs, about members voting in categories they shouldn't, and about the overall integrity of the process. By requiring voters to actually watch the films, the Academy is trying to address these concerns head-on.
It also reflects changing attitudes about what it means to be an informed voter. In an era where information is readily available, the expectation is that people will do their homework. For Academy members, that homework now includes watching every nominated film.
What This Means
For Academy members, the 2026 Oscars will require more preparation. They'll need to be more intentional about their viewing schedules. They can't wait until the last minute to catch up on nominees they've missed. They need to plan ahead.
For the film industry, this could have ripple effects. Directors and producers will know that every Academy voter who votes in their category has actually seen their film. That's different from the old system, where some voters might have relied on word-of-mouth or secondhand information. It means the voting will be based on firsthand experience, not assumptions.
It could also affect how films are released. If Academy members need to watch everything before voting, that puts pressure on distributors to make sure their films are accessible. A film that's hard to find or only available in certain regions might be at a disadvantage, since fewer voters might be able to watch it.
For the broader conversation about the Oscars, this is part of a larger trend toward modernizing the Academy. The organization has been making changes for years now, from expanding membership to adjusting voting rules to trying to make the ceremony more relevant. This new voting requirement fits into that pattern.
"The change reflects the Academy's commitment to ensuring that every vote cast is an informed one," said a spokesperson familiar with the decision.
The requirement also sends a message about what the Academy values. It's saying that actually watching the films matters. It's not enough to have a general sense of what's good. You need to sit down and experience the work yourself. That's a statement about the importance of cinema as an art form.
Some members will embrace the change. They're the kind of people who watch everything anyway, who love cinema and want to stay current with what's being made. For them, this requirement just formalizes what they already do.
Others might find it burdensome. Busy executives, retired actors, and longtime members who've been voting for decades might see it as an unnecessary hassle. But the Academy has decided that the benefits outweigh the inconvenience. A voting process that's based on actual viewings is worth the extra effort.
The 2026 Oscars will be the first test of how this works in practice. There will probably be growing pains. Some voters might struggle to find certain films. Others might need reminders about deadlines. But the Academy is betting that the end result will be a voting process that's more fair, more informed, and ultimately more legitimate.
That's what matters in the end. The Oscars carry weight because people believe in them. If voters are making decisions based on incomplete information, that belief erodes. By requiring everyone to actually watch the films, the Academy is trying to rebuild that trust. Whether it works remains to be seen, but the intent is clear: this year, every vote will count because every voter will have done the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do all Academy members have to watch all nominated films?
A: No. Members only need to watch the nominated films in the categories they plan to vote in. If you're voting for Best Picture, you need to see all Best Picture nominees. If you're also voting in Best Director, you need to see those nominees too. But you don't need to watch every nominee in every category unless you're voting in those categories.
Q: How will the Academy verify that members have watched the films?
A: The Academy will use a confirmation system where members attest that they've seen the nominated films before voting. The exact mechanics of how this verification works haven't been fully detailed, but it's based on the honor system with built-in accountability measures.
Q: What happens if a member can't find a nominated film to watch?
A: Members are responsible for seeking out the films through available channels, including streaming services, rental platforms, and theatrical releases. If a film is genuinely unavailable, members can contact the Academy, though the expectation is that all nominated films will be accessible in some form before voting begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all Academy members have to watch all nominated films?
No. Members only need to watch the nominated films in the categories they plan to vote in. If you’re voting for Best Picture, you need to see all Best Picture nominees. But you don’t need to watch every nominee in every category unless you’re voting in those categories.
How will the Academy verify that members have watched the films?
The Academy will use a confirmation system where members attest that they’ve seen the nominated films before voting. The exact mechanics of how this verification works are based on the honor system with built-in accountability measures.
What happens if a member can’t find a nominated film to watch?
Members are responsible for seeking out the films through available channels, including streaming services, rental platforms, and theatrical releases. The expectation is that all nominated films will be accessible in some form before voting begins.
