An Oscar statue is seen ahead of the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on March 14, 2026. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced several significant rule changes for the 99th Oscars, including protections around the use of artificial intelligence and expanded eligibility for international films.
The Academy said the updates respond to input from the global filmmaking community and aim to reduce barriers to entry in its eligibility process. It noted that its rules have long evolved alongside technologies such as sound, color and CGI, and that AI is treated similarly. Awards rules and guidelines are reviewed and refined each year.
Human performance requirement for Acting
The Academy now specifies that only roles “demonstrably performed by humans with their consent” are eligible for Acting awards. That change explicitly excludes AI-generated personas such as the widely publicized Tilly Norwood from consideration for acting honors.
Particle6, the production company behind Norwood, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In March, Norwood posted on Instagram, “Can’t wait to go to the Oscars!” while promoting a new music video.
The Academy also requires screenplays to be “human-authored” and reserves the right to investigate the use of generative AI in any submission.
Multiple nominations allowed
Under the new rules, human actors can be nominated multiple times in the same category if several performances earn enough votes to rank among the top nominees. Previously, an actor could receive only one nomination per category; if two performances ranked highly, only the higher-ranked one would advance. The change makes it possible, though still unlikely, for a single actor to occupy multiple nomination slots in a category during a prolific year.
International Feature Film eligibility
International-feature rules shift emphasis from countries to filmmakers. While films may still be submitted as a country’s official selection, they can now qualify by winning the top prize at a major international festival — for example, the Palme d’Or at Cannes, the Golden Lion at Venice, or the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.
The change allows multiple films from the same country to compete if they achieve significant festival recognition, removing the historical limit of one film per country and prioritizing individual filmmakers’ achievements over geopolitical ownership of a nomination.
Reaction and implementation
The changes have drawn largely positive responses across the film community, with social media commentators praising the “human-only” protections as a safeguard for creative jobs.
The Academy’s Awards Committee oversees rules alongside branch executive committees, the International Feature Film Executive Committee and the Scientific and Technical Awards Executive Committee. The new rules are set to take effect next year and will apply to films released in 2026.