Oscar nominations to precede Golden Globes

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has brought forward the date for the announcement of the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards to 10th January 2013.

For the first time, the Oscar nominations will come out before the Hollywood Foreign Press Association hands out its Golden Globes, at a ceremony that is traditionally the curtain-raiser for Hollywood’s awards season and seen as a barometer for Oscar success.

Some industry commentators believe a proportion of the Academy’s membership of about six thousand use the Golden Globe winners as a guide for who to back in the Oscar race, so the Academy’s decision to bring forward its nominations announcement could be seen as an attempt to assert the appearance of independence of its voters.

But in truth, even under the original timetable, the Academy’s members would have had to complete their votes for the nominations before Golden Globes night, so bringing the announcement forward won’t reduce any influence the Globes might have on their thoughts.

It could, though, help the Academy steal the HFPA’s thunder in the run-up to the Globes, but it after the event, it will give longevity to the HFPA’s award winners, allow them longer to bask in the glory, because attention won’t be turning to the Oscars, the moment they collected their trophies.

The Academy says it’s brought the nominations announcement forward to give members – and the public – five more days to see the nominated films.

Academy voters will cast their nomination ballots between 17th December and 3rd January, giving the accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers a week to collate the results. 

The Golden Globes will be handed out 13th January, in a star-studded awards show at LA’s Beverly Hilton hotel. The Oscars ceremony will be held at the newly renamed Dolby Theatre in the heart of Hollywood on Sunday 24th February.

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