June 24, 2009–There will be 10 Best Picture nominees starting with the 82nd Oscar ceremony, scheduled for March 7, 2009 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Adopting this practice, as I doucmented in my book All About Oscar: The History and Politics of the Academy Awards, takes the Oscars back to its first decade, during which there were more than five films nominated for Best Picture. In some years, there were 10, in others 8.
Big question is to what extent the Academy voters can come up with a list of ten decent, not to mention excellent, pictures worthy of awards.
The announcement was made Wednesday morning at AMPAS headquarters in BevHills by the Academy president Sid Ganis.
The Oscar nominations will be announced on February 2, 2009.
