2021 Oscars to be held live from multiple locations in April

The 93rd Academy Awards, will be an in-person event that will air live from multiple locations in April. The ceremony used to be traditionally hosted at a sole location, the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, but due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic it will be held at various locations. Earlier, it was re-scheduled from February 28 to April 25. On Wednesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a statement to make the announced. "In this unique year that has asked so much of so many, the Academy is determined to present an Oscars like none other, while prioritising the public health and safety of all those who will participate," read the statement. It added, "To create the in-person show our global audience wants to see while adapting to the requirements of the pandemic, the ceremony will broadcast live from multiple locations, including the landmark Dolby Theatre. We look forward to sharing more details soon."

The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood has been the venue for the Oscars ceremony for a number of years. Every year, in normal circumstances, hundreds of the world’s top movie stars would gather in the 3,400-seat theatre for a live show preceded by a red carpet. Recently, The Academy announced the shortlist in nine categories. It will come up with more shortlists in the coming days. The final nominations will be announced on March 15. The eligibility period for new films has also been moved back from December 31 to February 28. In June, the Academy pushed back the date of the show by two months from its original air date of February 28 to April 25 due to the coronavirus pandemic. That was the fourth time a delay has happened in the annual award ceremony's 93-year history. The first time occurred in 1938 due to flooding in L.A. and the next two followed after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968 and President Ronald Reagan's attempted assassination in 1981.