Oscars slim down, will hand out 8 awards ahead of broadcast
By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — To combat slumping ratings, the Academy Awards are undergoing a radical slimming down, with eight awards to be presented off-air during next month’s telecast. Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences President David Rubin wrote in a letter sent to members Tuesday about the change. The letter says the awards for film editing, production design, sound, makeup and hairstyling, original score and the three short film awards for documentary, live-action and animated short will be presented at the ceremony an hour before the live broadcast begins on ABC. Clips of those early winners will be shown during the broadcast.