#Oscars 2021 Awards Ceremony to Have ‘Hubs’ in London, Paris, and More

The producers of the 93rd annual Academy Awards reportedly have relaxed their plan to ban nominees not attending the Los Angeles event in person from accepting awards during the broadcast. (Read: No Zooming.) Instead, the ceremony will now have “hubs” in cities including London and Paris where people can participate in person.

The original rule that nominees needed be there in person was an attempt, according to co-producers Steven Soderbergh, Stacey Sher, and Jesse Collins, to bring some normalcy back to the awards show season amid the COVID crisis.

After the ban was announced, the backlash — which came from all sides, including from those who live overseas, or are shooting out of the U.S. — brought the producers back to the table on Tuesday, March 30. During a Zoom conference, the organizers, according to multiple reports, announced the hubs, which could also include additional cities. Exact venues are still being confirmed.

“We promise you that we will be more transparent from this point forward,” Soderbergh told those gathered, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Nominees, however, are still being encouraged to attend the ceremony — taking place at both the Dolby Theatre and Union Station in Los Angeles — according to THR. Should they come from out of town, they’ll need to follow Los Angeles County quarantine guidelines, with the associated costs being covered by the show.

As usual, many of the nominees for top awards are from the U.K., including Gary Oldman, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, and Vanessa Kirby.

Glenn Weiss directs the ceremony, which takes place April 25, for the sixth straight year. Events will be dramatically scaled back to allow for social distancing, with more details coming.

The Oscars, Sunday, April 25, 8/7c on ABC