The Academy has approved awards rules and campaign promotional regulations for the 98th Oscars, the Academy Press Office announced. The dual sign-off closes the rule-making phase for the next ceremony cycle, locking the procedural mechanics and the campaigning guardrails ahead of submission portals opening.

What the announcement covers

The release addresses two distinct rule sets the Academy maintains for each cycle. Awards rules govern competition mechanics: category definitions, eligibility windows, submission requirements, shortlisting procedure, branch voting, and the calendar running from submissions through final balloting.

Campaign promotional regulations form the parallel stream. They govern conduct during the season — the limits on For Your Consideration spending, event formats, and direct member outreach that studios, publicists, and nominees must observe.

The Board action covers both at once. Approving the documents together signals the operating structure for the 98th cycle is set, with no further rule changes expected before the ceremony.

What changes for the trade

The two documents drive every campaign decision from submission openings through final voting night.

Category definitions decide where titles compete. Eligibility windows determine which productions qualify and against which cutoff dates. Branch voting procedures set how Academy members participate across the multi-stage balloting process.

On the campaign side, the regulations shape FYC budgets and event planning. Studios calibrate advertising spend, screening schedules, and talent appearances against the permitted windows. Individual Academy members face separate restrictions on advocacy activity under the same bylaws.

How the two rule books interact

The two documents operate in sequence rather than in parallel. Awards rules set the calendar and the technical ground rules that define which films compete and in which categories.

Campaign promotional regulations, by contrast, govern what happens after the rule book is fixed — the months-long contest for nomination support and final-ballot votes. For strategists, that distinction matters: awards rules determine eligibility strategy months before a campaign launches, while campaign regulations dictate every spending decision from FYC ad buys through talent-driven events and final-weeks lobbying.

What's next on the calendar

The full text of the approved documents typically follows the announcement through the Academy's member portal and the official rules page at oscars.org. Trade-watchers parse the redlines against the prior-cycle rule book to flag category changes, eligibility shifts, and updates to campaign provisions.

Publicists, strategists, and awards consultants will work from the new documents immediately to recalibrate FYC spending and event planning. Submissions, shortlisting, and final balloting for the 98th Oscars now proceed against the locked rule book.