A rule requiring Academy members to watch every nominee in a category before voting takes effect for the 2026 Academy Awards, the Hindu reported. Members who skip nominees in a given category will forfeit their vote in that category.

The policy continues a pattern of voting-tightening moves by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has restructured its rules around streaming-era nomination slates and ballot integrity.

What does the rule do?

Under the new requirement, casting a valid ballot in any category depends on having watched every nominee in that category. Members who skip a nominee remove themselves from the eligible voter pool for that race. The rule applies to the 2026 cycle — the 98th Academy Awards — and covers films released in calendar year 2025.

The Hindu's report did not specify how the Academy will track member viewing, whether the requirement covers nomination rounds as well as final voting, or whether the rule interacts with the preferential ballot system.

Why is the board moving now?

The Academy's voting members include actors, directors, writers, craftspeople, and below-the-line workers whose day-to-day expertise rarely spans every Oscar category. Voting slates in recent years have featured simultaneous nominees in documentary, international, animated, and short races — categories where some members have historically defaulted to brand familiarity over full viewing.

A "watch all or forfeit" mandate pushes those voters toward actual engagement with the slates they're voting on.

What does it change in the race?

Studios and streamers gain a new lever for keeping their nominees in front of voters. Expect expanded screener access, more aggressive platform-window coordination, and renewed FYC spending on behalf of under-watched categories.

Smaller nominees — international entries, documentary features, short films — historically post lower viewing completion rates among generalist voters. A hard eligibility bar amplifies that gap unless distributors, festivals, and Academy screening platforms coordinate early.

What remains unknown?

The full Academy board action, the enforcement protocol, and the formal rulebook language have not yet surfaced. The board typically publishes updated procedures ahead of the nominations voting window each year; a fuller statement is expected before the 2026 cycle opens.

The 98th Academy Awards is scheduled for early 2026.