Oscar statue at the entrance to the Kodak Theater by Mike Guastella/WireImage.com
In an unusual move, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has moved back the 2009 Oscar nominations announcement date by two days, to avoid overlap with next year's presidential inauguration.
Both events were scheduled for January 20, 2009, but the Academy bowed out of a head-to-head event day and moved their announcements to Jan. 22. Traditionally, the AP says, nominees are announced on a Tuesday, four weeks before the big award day. In 2009, though, that day is already set for Feb. 22, the earliest in the Awards' history.
Although two days may not seem like a huge delay, the announcement pushes back award show planning, an already-tight affair of intense work for show writers and producers. The new date also squeezes Academy members to get their votes in, as ballots are mailed Jan. 28 and due back Feb. 17.
And as for the groundbreaking early Oscars date, the move was made to reportedly avoid "awards fatigue" — a common syndrome that sets in among red carpet enthusiasts annually in early spring. Do you think the date change was the right move? Should the inauguration trump entertainment events? Or was it purely a play for better coverage? — Anna Dimond
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