The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will now require Oscar voters to watch every nominated film in each category they intend to vote in, a rule change that reshapes how ballots are filled out for the Academy Awards.

The mandate applies across the Academy's general voting membership. Members have historically received screeners and For Your Consideration (FYC) materials during awards season, then cast votes across branch and category lines. Under the previous standard, members could submit ballots based on reputation, marketing buzz, or partial viewings. The new requirement eliminates that shortcut.

What does the new rule require?

• Complete viewings of every film nominated in a category before voting in that category
• Apply the requirement across every category the member intends to weigh in on
• Leave a category blank on the final ballot if all nominees have not been screened

The public announcement does not detail enforcement mechanics. Members have accessed screeners through the Academy's member screening portal in past cycles, and final ballots have typically unlocked through the same member platform.

How does this change the race?

The rule reorders campaign math for every contender in the field. Studios already spend heavily on FYC events, trade ads, and platform placements, all aimed at driving voter attention. Now every nominated film becomes required viewing, which changes how studios target the wider membership.

Films with broad name recognition and easy screener access gain a structural edge, since voters who previously skipped screeners face a mandate to catch up. Smaller contenders without major FYC budgets face a steeper climb, because their films are less likely to be screened by every voting member.

Best Picture, which has run an expanded nominee slate in recent cycles, may see more uniform support as voters complete full slates of screeners. Specialty categories with fewer nominees could see similar effects.

What remains unclear?

Several mechanics are not specified in the public announcement:

• How the Academy will verify that a member completed each required screening
• Whether partial screenings count toward compliance
• Whether the rule extends to shortlist rounds or applies only to the final ballot

Members typically receive voting instructions and access links through official Academy communications in the weeks before ballots unlock.

Why the change now?

The rule fits a wider pattern of voting-procedure adjustments at the Academy. Recent cycles have included changes to membership eligibility, branch representation, and the variable Best Picture nominee count. The exhaustive-viewing requirement brings Oscar voting closer to the model used by some industry guilds, where members have long been required to screen every contender before casting a ballot.

Campaign strategists will track early returns from the next cycle to see whether the rule produces more uniform finalist support, or a wider distribution of votes across the nominee field. Either outcome reshapes how studios allocate FYC spend and which contenders emerge with enough voter engagement to clear the threshold.