Oscar nominees banned from dialling into 2021 ceremony on Zoom and must attend in person

If you’re an Oscar nominee this year we’re terribly sorry but you’re not going to be able to wear your joggers with your tuxedo or couture – you’ve been banned from attending the 2021 Academy Awards ceremony anything less than in person, according to reports.

The awards – arguably the biggest in the calendar – are set to take place next month at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

Nominees were announced last week with the likes of Maria Bakalova, Viola Davis, and the late Chadwick Boseman up for gongs. British hopefuls include Olivia Colman, Carey Mulligan, Riz Ahmed, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Emerald Fennell.

While some live elements will still take place at its usual home of the Dolby Theatre, the relocation of the 93rd awards is hopefully the only difference punters will notice with Deadline reporting a letter sent out by producers told nominees phoning in via Zoom is banned.

In fact, reportedly if they’re not there in person to accept their award it will be done for them by the Academy on their behalf.

In the letter reportedly sent to nominees and published by the website, producers said a virtual appearance is not allowed, stating: ‘For those of you unable to attend because of scheduling or continued uneasiness about traveling, we want you to know there will not be an option to Zoom in for the show.

‘We are going to great lengths to provide a safe and ENJOYABLE evening for all of you in person, as well as for all the millions of film fans around the world, and we feel the virtual thing will diminish those efforts.’

The Academy, the body which oversees the Oscars, said the ceremony will be ‘intimate’ and promised it would be done safely under pandemic-era precautions.

The letter, from producers of the pandemic-era show, Steven Soderbergh (who, we should note, made Contagion, so, you know), Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins, says: ‘We are treating the event as an active movie set, with specially designed testing cadences to ensure up-to-the-minute results, including an on-site Covid safety team with PCR testing capability.

‘There will be specific instructions for those of you traveling in from outside of Los Angeles, and other instructions for those of you who are already based in Los Angeles. This will all come directly to you from the Academy to ensure you have a safe, carefree evening (a glimpse of the future?)’

It’s a contrast to awards shows of the past year which have seen some nominees deciding to dress casually for the big night, with actor Jason Sudeikis making headlines for wearing a hoodie while appearing virtually at the Golden Globes.

Not up in the Oscars, according to the note.

Of the dress code, the letter said: ‘We’re aiming for a fusion of Inspirational and Aspirational, which in actual words means formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casual is really not.’

Producers also stressed the importance of ‘stories’ to the nominees and said each one of them will be interviewed to ‘help us tell the story of your path’ to the ceremony.

They added: ‘We want to highlight the connections between all of us who work in the movies and show that the process is uniquely intimate, collaborative, and fun (Usually. Hopefully?).’

The Oscars are set to take place April 25.

Metro.co.uk contacted The Academy for comment.

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