(UTV|COLOMBO) The Oscars will introduce a new award for popular films and the annual ceremony will be limited to three hours, organizers said on Wednesday, in a bid to stave off slumping audiences for the movie industry’s most prestigious honors.The decision to create a special category for popular films sparked an immediate backlash, with one critic saying it smacked of desperation.
The sweeping changes also include handing out some of the 24 Academy Awards during commercial breaks in the February 24 broadcast.
The votes are in and this year’s best actors have been announced at the one and only Academy Awards, this year celebrating it’s 90th edition.
“We are committed to producing an entertaining show in three hours, delivering a more accessible Oscars for our viewers worldwide,” the board of governors at the Academy of Motion Pictures said in a letter to members.
The U.S. television audience for the almost four-hour Oscar ceremony in March 2018 was 26.5 million viewers, the smallest in awards’ 90-year history. The telecast is an important showcase for the film industry, and nominated movies typically attract a new wave of ticket buyers.
