The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has opened discussions with venues in New York, London, and Las Vegas about hosting the 2028 Oscar ceremony, according to three people familiar with the deliberations who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Academy's lease at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood expires in 2027, and renewal negotiations have stalled over renovation costs that the theatre's owner, CIM Group, wants the Academy to share. [1]

The logistics explain the timing. The symbolism explains the story. The Oscars have been held in Los Angeles since the first ceremony at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929. The ceremony's location in Hollywood was never merely practical — it was the industry affirming that Hollywood is the industry. If the Academy moves the ceremony to New York or London, it would be acknowledging what the production data already shows: the industry left Los Angeles years ago. [1]

California's share of U.S. film and television production fell to 17 percent in 2025, down from 37 percent in 2015, according to FilmLA data. Georgia (14 percent), New York (12 percent), and the United Kingdom (8 percent of U.S.-financed production) have captured the work that tax incentives, lower costs, and purpose-built studio infrastructure have pulled from Southern California. The Academy Awards ceremony is, in a meaningful sense, the last major film industry event that still happens in Hollywood. [1] [2]

Academy President Janet Yang declined to comment on specific venues but said in a statement that the organization is "exploring all options that best serve our membership and our mission." The mission, presumably, is to celebrate cinema. Where that celebration happens is the question the industry is no longer sure it can answer.

-- CAMILLE BEAUMONT, Los Angeles