It seems Oscars bosses have been hit with the same Zoom fatigue as the rest of us.
The Academy Awards organisers have banned attendees from appearing virtually at this year’s ceremony, it has been reported.
The 93rd annual event is set to take place next month, with an in-person ceremony at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, which will incorporate some live elements from the ceremony’s usual home at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
But while other awards ceremonies have embraced Zoom calls as they have adapted to the pandemic restrictions, the Oscars will not be following suit.
In a letter sent to nominees and published by US outlet Deadline, producers said a virtual appearance is not allowed and the Academy will accept awards on behalf of any winner unable to make the show.
The letter states: “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 show Steven Soderbergh, 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?)”
And while many attendees might have spent the last year in their comfies, casual attire has been strictly prohibited.
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.”
The Oscar nominations were announced last week, with multiple nods for British stars including Daniel Kaluuya, Sacha Baron Cohen, Olivia Colman and Riz Ahmed.
Nomadland director Chloé Zhao also made Oscars history, as she is the first woman of colour to be nominated for Best Director.
The 2021 Oscars are scheduled to take place on 25 April.