Oscars organisers tell winners to ‘read the room’ during speeches in response to claims ceremony ‘too long’

‘READ THE ROOM. Tell a STORY. If you’re thanking someone, say their name, not their title’

This year’s Oscars producers have urged nominees to “read the room” during acceptance speeches, in an effort to keep the ceremony entertaining.

Acceptance speeches have long been a topic of discussion as far as the Academy Awards are concerned. The ceremony has been criticised for lasting too long, with speeches often being cited as a contributing factor.

Producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher, and Steven Soderbergh sought to address the issue in a letter sent to nominees earlier this month.

According to Deadline, which published the missive in full, the producers included a “speech about speeches”, telling nominees: “It is our belief the show isn’t ‘too long’ because of the speeches. HAVING SAID THAT, we’d like to say THIS: With great freedom comes great responsibility, and if you’re wondering what we mean by that exactly, we mean READ THE ROOM. Tell a STORY.”

The producers also advised nominees wanting to thank specific people to state that person’s name instead of their title.

“Don’t say MY MANAGER, PEGGY just say PEGGY. Make it PERSONAL,” the letter reads.

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The producers also cautioned against bringing written notes, noting that “the audience leans back when they see a winner with a piece of paper in their hand”.

“We’re aiming for a feeling of casual exchange and good humour,” the paragraph concludes.

The 93rd Academy Awards will take place on 25 April 2021. You can view a full list of nominees here.