82nd Oscars to feature 10 Best Picture nominees

Jun 24, 2009 by Ian Evans

There’s change brewin’ over at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as AMPAS President Sid Ganis announced today that 10 films will compete for the Best Picture Oscar® at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

“After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year,” said Ganis. “The final outcome, of course, will be the same — one Best Picture winner — but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009.”

The 16th Academy Awards (1943) was the last year to include a field of that size.

“Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize,” commented Ganis. “I can’t wait to see what that list of ten looks like when the nominees are announced in February.”

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2.