HOLLYWOOD - Remember the four-hours-plus Academy Awards show marathon in March?The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences sure does. In order to prevent such a long Oscar telecast next year, the AMPAS board has voted to trim the honorary awards show.
According to a report in Variety, the board agreed to be more firm on the selection process and voting procedures for all the honorary nods, including the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and the standard honorary Oscars. This will limit the number of special awards handed out each year to one or two, at the most.
This will also cut down on show time. During March's Academy Awards presentation, three honorary awards were given out: two honorary Oscars to Sidney Poitier and Robert Redford as well as the Humanitarian award to director Arthur Hiller.
The 75th annual Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 23, 2003.