The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced significant rule changes for the 99th Oscars, including AI protections for actors and writers and expanded eligibility for international films.
Key points
Academy announces rule changes for the 99th Oscars
New rules include AI protections for actors and writers
Expanded eligibility for international films
Changes respond to global filmmaking community feedback
Aims to address barriers in the eligibility process
An Oscar statue is seen ahead of the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on March 14, 2026.
An Oscar statue is seen ahead of the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on March 14, 2026.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced several significant rule changes for the 99th Oscars, including AI protections for actors and writers as well as expanded eligibility for international films.
In a statement to NPR, the Academy on Saturday said the changes are in response to listening to the global filmmaking community and addressing barriers to entry in its eligibility process.
What are the new rules announced by the Academy for the 99th Oscars?
The new rules include AI protections for actors and writers and expanded eligibility criteria for international films.
Why did the Academy decide to change the Oscars rules?
The Academy made these changes in response to feedback from the global filmmaking community and to address barriers to entry in the eligibility process.
How will AI protections impact actors and writers at the Oscars?
The AI protections aim to safeguard the rights and contributions of actors and writers in the evolving landscape of filmmaking.
What does expanded eligibility for international films mean for the Oscars?
Expanded eligibility for international films allows a broader range of films from outside the U.S. to be considered for nominations, enhancing diversity in the awards.
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The Academy added that its rules and eligibility standards have always evolved alongside technologies such as sound, color, and CGI, and that AI is no different. Awards rules and guidelines are reviewed and refined each year.
A blow for Tilly Norwood
Among the most noteworthy changes, the Academy now explicitly states that only roles, "demonstrably performed by humans with their consent" are eligible for Acting awards. In other words, AI creations like the much-hyped Tilly Norwood cannot hope to win a Best Actress Oscar anytime soon.
Particle6, the production company behind Norwood, did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment on Saturday about its creations' ban from consideration. In March, Norwood commented, "Can't wait to go to the Oscars!" in an Instagram post announcing its newly released music video.
The Academy also requires screenplays to be "human-authored" and said it reserved the right to investigate the use of generative AI in any submission.
Meanwhile, qualifying flesh-and-blood human actors can now be nominated for multiple performances in the same category if those performances get enough votes to land in the top five. So, someone like Anne Hathaway, who has five major movies scheduled for release in 2026, could now theoretically sweep the nominations – though that outcome seems extremely unlikely.
"If an actor has an extremely prolific year, might we even see someone swallow up three of the five nominations?," wrote Deadline's awards columnist and chief film critic Pete Hammond about the changes. "Probably won't happen, but it's now possible."
Under previous rules, an actor could only receive one nomination per category. If they had two high-ranking performances in Best Actor, for example, only the one with the most votes would move forward.
International films prioritizes filmmakers over countries
While international films can still be the official selection of their countries, now they can qualify by winning the top prize at a major international festival such as the Palme d'Or at Cannes, the Golden Lion at Venice, or the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.
Historically, countries "owned" the nomination, and only one film per country was allowed. The new rules allow multiple films from the same country to compete if they are critically acclaimed, and it shifts the honor from a geopolitical entity to the filmmakers themselves.
Largely positive response
The changes have prompted a largely positive reaction from the film community on social media, such as on the popular The Shade Room entertainment and celebrity-focused Instagram feed, where commenters widely praised the "human-only" move to protect creative jobs.
The Academy's Awards Committee oversees the rules in tandem with branch executive committees, the International Feature Film Executive Committee and the Scientific and Technical Awards Executive Committee.
The rules are scheduled to go into effect next year, covering films released in 2026.
