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Will The Oscars Be Held In-Person? Planning Reportedly Underway Despite Pandemic

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — While recent Hollywood awards shows have moved to virtual formats with limited-to-no people in attendance, a representative for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences told Variety Tuesday that an "in-person telecast will happen."

Because of the pandemic, the Oscars were pushed back to April 25. The delay apparently has Academy and ABC officials confident the stars will be able to gather at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

An awards publicist familiar with the plans told Variety, "The Academy has done a walkthrough of the Dolby recently to see all the multiple options."

It was not immediately clear what safety protocols would be in place or how many of the theater's 3,400 seats might be filled.

Recently, the annual Emmy Awards ceremony was held largely remotely, though Jimmy Kimmel hosted from Staples Center without an in-person audience.

During the event, a handful of guests, including Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, made live appearances with Kimmel.

Specific plans have not yet been announced for other major awards shows, including the Feb. 28 Golden Globes, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler,  the Critics Choice Awards on March 7 and the Screen Actors Guild Awards happening March 14.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

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