1986 (59th) Voting Rules Book cover


1986 (59th Annual Awards)
Academy Award Voting Rules

Each year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences publishes a booklet for its members detailing the current revised rules for nominating and voting for Academy Awards. Listed below is the exact text of the rules for the 1986 (59th) Awards.

Click on a year in the column on the right to display the Voting Rules for another year.

Note: Although the typography has been modified slightly for greater consistency and easier reading on this website, the text displayed for each Rule Book is exactly as it was originally printed (including the original—sometimes quirky—outline format and occasional spelling errors).

59th Annual
Academy Awards of Merit
FOR ACHIEVEMENTS DURING 1986



VOTING RULES

One

THE AWARDS YEAR

  1. Academy Awards of Merit shall be bestowed for achievements in connection with feature-length motion pictures (defined as motion pictures over 30 minutes in running time) first publicly exhibited by means of 35mm or 70mm film for paid admission (previews excluded) in a commercial motion picture theater in the Los Angeles area, defined as Los Angeles, West Los Angeles or Beverly Hills, between January 1, 1986 and midnight of December 31, 1986, such exhibition being for a consecutive run of not less than a week after an opening prior to midnight of December 31st, following normal exploitation and advertising utilized by the producer for his or her other pictures within the dates specified. Pictures publicly exhibited elsewhere prior to their exhibition in the Los Angeles area shall not be eligible unless such exhibition has occurred after January 1, 1985 in a commercial motion picture theater (previews and film festivals excluded).
  2. Exceptions to this rule appear in Special Rules for Documentary Awards (see Rule Twelve), Best Foreign Language Film Award (see Rule Fourteen) and Short Films Awards (see Rule Nineteen). Additional requirements for the Music Awards are contained in Rule Sixteen.
  3. Television exhibition in the Los Angeles area does not disqualify a film, provided such exhibition occurs after its Los Angeles theatrical release.

Two

THE ANNUAL AWARDS

  1. Except in instances in which the producer is unable to comply herewith, every award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards and such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. Such print shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.
  2. Awards of Merit in the form of gold statuettes shall be conferred for the following achievements:
ACTING: For the best performance by an actor in a leading role.
For the best performance by an actor in a supporting role.
For the best performance by an actress in a leading role.
For the best performance by an actress in a supporting role.
ART DIRECTION: For the best achievement in art direction.
(The Academy Statuette shall be given also for the set decoration on the picture that wins the Art Direction Award.)
CINEMATOGRAPHY: For the best achievement in cinematography.
COSTUME DESIGN: For the best achievement in costume design.
DIRECTING: For the best achievement in directing.
DOCUMENTARY: For the best achievement in each of two classifications:
(a) Documentary features.
(b) Documentary short subjects.
FILM EDITING: For the best achievement in film editing.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: For the best foreign language film of the year.
MAKEUP: For the best achievement in makeup.*
MUSIC: For the best achievements in music in connection with motion pictures:
(a) Original score.
(b) Original song.
(c) Original song score.
BEST PICTURE: For the best motion picture of the year.
SHORT FILMS: For the best achievement in each of two classifications:
(a) Animated films.
(b) Live action films.
SOUND: For the best achievement in sound.
SOUND EFFECTS: For the best achievement in sound effects editing.*
VISUAL EFFECTS: For the best achievement in visual effects.*
WRITING: For the best achievement in each of two classifications:
(a) Screenplay written directly for the screen.
(b) Screenplay based on material from another medium.

* In the event there are fewer than two nominations, a Special Achievement Award may be voted by the Board of Governors.

Three

OTHER AWARDS

(Not necessarily given each year)

  1. SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: for a device, method, formula, discovery or invention of special and outstanding value to the arts and sciences of motion pictures and actually employed in the motion picture industry during the awards year. The Academy Award of Merit (Academy Statuette) shall be conferred for basic achievements which have a definite influence upon the advancement of the industry; the Scientific and Engineering Award (Academy Plaque) for those achievements which exhibit a high level of engineering and are important to the progress of the industry; the Technical Achievement Award (Academy Certificate) for those accomplishments which contribute to the progress of the industry. Posthumous awards for achievements in prior years will not be made in this category. (See Rule Eighteen.)
  2. SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (Statuette): shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors there is an achievement which makes an exceptional contribution to the motion picture for which it was created, but for which there is no annual award category. Such awards shall only be conferred, however, for achievements in productions which also qualify under Rule One.
  3. IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD (Thalberg Head): shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors there is a deserving recipient, but not necessarily each year. It shall be given to a creative producer whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production. No one shall be eligible to receive the Thalberg Award more than once. The Thalberg Award shall not be voted posthumously. No member of the Board of Governors shall be eligible to receive the Thalberg Award while serving as a member of the Board. (See Rule Twenty-four.)
  4. JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD (Statuette): shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors there is a deserving recipient, but not necessarily each year. It shall be given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry. No one shall be eligible to receive this award more than once. The Hersholt Award shall not be voted posthumously. No member of the Board of Governors shall be eligible to receive the Hersholt Award while serving as a member of the Board. (See Rule Twenty-five.)
  5. GORDON E. SAWYER AWARD (Statuette): shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors there is a deserving recipient, but not necessarily each year. It shall be given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry. No one shall be eligible to receive this award more than once. The Sawyer Award shall not be voted posthumously. No member of the Board of Governors shall be eligible to receive the Sawyer Award while serving as a member of the Board. (See Rule Twenty-six.)

Four

HONORARY AWARDS

  1. Honorary Awards shall be conferred for outstanding achievements not strictly within the categories listed in Rules Two and Three. However, these awards shall be given only for exceptional distinction in the making of motion pictures or for outstanding service to the Academy.
  2. Achievements voted Honorary Awards may be in connection with foreign as well as domestic productions and are not limited to the awards year.
  3. Nominations for Honorary Awards shall be made at a special meeting of the Board of Governors. Generally, not more than one Honorary Award shall be voted in a given year. However, in the event that a second Honorary Award is proposed, a two-thirds vote of the Governors present shall be required for approval.
  4. No proxies shall be permitted in balloting for Honorary Awards.
  5. Honorary Awards shall not be voted posthumously.
  6. No member of the Board of Governors shall be eligible to receive an Honorary Award while serving as a member of the Board.

Five

GENERAL RULES

  1. Balloting on all achievements shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.
  2. The established gold statuette trophy of the Academy (Oscar) shall be conferred for all achievements listed in Rule Two, for the Scientific or Technical Academy Award of Merit, for Special Achievement Awards, for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and for the Gordon E. Sawyer Award. The Academy Plaque shall be given for Scientific and Engineering Awards. The Thalberg Head shall be given for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Trophies to be given for all Honorary Awards shall be determined by the Board of Governors.
  3. Voting for nominations and awards shall be by secret ballot. Printed forms and ballots shall be supplied by the Academy and shall be returned unsigned. Ballots shall be opened and counted by a firm of certified public accountants designated by the Academy President.
  4. An achievement submitted for Academy Award consideration may not be withdrawn after January 31, 1987.
  5. Awards shall be conferred at an Awards Presentation ceremony.
  6. In the event that an achievement voted an award was done in collaboration, each of the collaborators shall receive an award trophy. In the event of a tie for first place in the final balloting, awards shall be given for both achievements.
  7. In the nominations voting, the marking and tabulation of all ballots shall be according to the preferential or weighted average system. Tabulation of final ballots shall be according to the plurality system. No “write-in“ votes shall be counted on the final ballots.
  8. Subject to special rules approved by the Board of Governors, eligibility for consideration for Academy Awards shall be limited to motion pictures which have met the requirements of Rule One and for which the following information has been received by the Academy on Official Screen Credits forms obtained from the Academy and signed by the producer or distributor, unless such limitations are waived by the Academy:
    1. full, complete and authentic credits,
    2. the name of the Los Angeles area theater in which the film has played,
    3. the dates of the Los Angeles run.
  9. The Board of Governors shall provide for such meetings or special showings as may be desirable to insure a full and fair consideration of the merits of all eligible achievements.
  10. Motion pictures from all countries shall be eligible for consideration for the awards listed under Rule Two if the requirements of Rules One, Two, Five and Six are met, but foreign language films must have English subtitles.
  11. Exceptions to Rule Five, Paragraph 10, appear in Special Rules for the Documentary Awards (see Rule Twelve), the Best Foreign Language Film Award (see Rule Fourteen) and for the Music Awards (see Rule Sixteen).
  12. The alteration of an achievement by changing a picture from the version shown in the Los Angeles area, upon which eligibility is based, shall subject such achievement to the risk of being declared ineligible by the Board of Governors.

Six

GENERAL RULES FOR NOMINATIONS VOTING

  1. Each branch or other designated committee shall be permitted to formulate its own special rules, provided the final ballot presents not more than five achievements and that nominations and final voting in each category are restricted to active and life Academy members. All rules shall be presented to the Board of Governors for approval before implementation.
  2. Eligibility for all awards shall first be determined by credits as they appear on the screen and/or as certified to the Academy by the producing companies, but final determination in any event shall be made by the Academy.
  3. The Academy shall prepare reminder lists of all eligible pictures, but before distributing them to voters, releasing companies may be required to check the gallies [sic] for their productions as they will appear in the printed General Reminder List and assume full responsibility for errors and omissions. The reminder lists from which nominations are voted shall refer only to the motion picture in which the achievement was made and not to any individual responsible, except in the case of nominations for acting which name both the individual and the one picture wherein the achievement occurred.
  4. Not more than five nominations shall be made for each award. In all cases nominations shall be announced and placed on the final ballot in alphabetical order.
  5. In the event of any dispute concerning credits, the Academy reserves the right to declare any achievement ineligible or, alternatively, to reject all claims to credit, list credits as being in controversy and withhold any award until the dispute is resolved.
  6. In the event a nominated achievement is declared ineligible by the Academy, it shall be replaced by the achievement which received the next highest number of votes in the nominations balloting, if time reasonably permits such substitution.

Seven

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE ACTING AWARDS

  1. Reminder lists including the casts of all eligible pictures shall be sent with nominations ballots to all members of the Academy Actors Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five acting achievements in each category: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
  2. The five acting achievements in each category receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Acting Awards.
  3. A performance by an actor or actress in any role shall be eligible for nomination either for the Best Performance in a Leading Role or for the Best Performance in a Supporting Role. If, however, all the dialogue has been dubbed by another actor, the performance shall not be eligible for award consideration. Singing which is dubbed will not affect the performer’s eligibility unless it constitutes the entire performance. The determination as to whether a role is a lead or support shall be made individually by members of the branch at the time of balloting.
  4. The leading role and supporting role categories will be tabulated simultaneously. If any performance should receive votes in both categories, the achievement shall only be placed on the ballot in that category in which, during the tabulation process, it first receives the required number of votes to be nominated. In the event that the performance receives the number of votes required to be nominated in both categories simultaneously, the achievement shall only be placed on the ballot in that category in which it receives the greater percentage of the total votes.
  5. In the event that two achievements by an actor or actress receive sufficient votes to be nominated in the same category, only one shall be nominated using the preferential tabulation process and such other allied procedures as may be necessary to achieve that result.
  6. In the event that an actor or actress receives a sufficient number of votes to be nominated for one achievement in one category and for another achievement in the other category, both achievements shall be eligible.
  7. Final voting for the Acting Awards shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.

Eight

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE ART DIRECTION AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Art Directors Branch, except costume designers, who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Art Direction Award.
  3. Prior to the mailing of nominations ballots, a meeting of the Academy Art Directors Branch shall be held to pass on the eligibility of all productions for award consideration. Eligibility for this award shall be limited to the production designer/art director and set decorator primarily responsible for the design of the production and the execution of that concept, as designated by the producer.
  4. Final voting for the Art Direction Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.
Set Decoration
  1. Recognition in the form of the Academy Statuette shall be given for the set decoration of the production receiving an award for achievement in art direction.

Nine

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Cinematographers Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Cinematography Award.
  3. In the event that two achievements by a cinematographer or team of cinematographers receive sufficient votes to be nominated, only one achievement shall be nominated using the preferential tabulation process.
  4. In accordance with General Rule Six, Paragraph 2, only principal position credit(s) shall be considered eligible for the Cinematography Award.
  5. Final voting for the Cinematography Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.

Ten

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE COSTUME DESIGN AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all costume designer members of the Academy Art Directors Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions. To be eligible for the Costume Design Award, the costumes for the picture must have been conceived by a costume designer. Eligibility shall be determined by the costume designer members of the Art Directors Branch at a meeting called specifically for that purpose prior to the mailing of nominations ballots.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Costume Design Award.
  3. Final voting for the Costume Design Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.

Eleven

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE DIRECTING AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Directors Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Directing Award.
  3. Final voting for the Directing Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.

Twelve

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS

  1. Documentary films are defined as those dealing creatively with cultural, artistic, historical, social, scientific, economic or other significant subjects, photographed in actual occurrence or re-enacted, produced in animation, stop-motion or any other technique, and wherein the emphasis is on factual content and not on fiction. The purely technical instructional film will not be considered.
  2. Films eligible for Documentary Awards shall be divided into two groups:
    1. documentary features—films more than 30 minutes in running time.
    2. documentary short subjects—films 30 minutes or less in running time.
  3. Eligible documentary films submitted must be composite prints and may be in 16mm, 35mm or 70mm. Significant dialogue or narration must be in English or the film must have English subtitles.
  4. These awards shall be limited to the film’s producer(s) (not more than two) from among those listed on the screen. Production companies or persons with screen credits of executive producer, co-producer, associate producer, produced in association with, or any credit other than that of producer, shall not receive nominations or awards.
  5. To be eligible for award consideration for the 1986 awards year, documentary films in all eligible gauges (see Paragraph 3 above) must fulfill one of the following criteria:
    1. films must have participated in a “recognized” film festival (within two years of completion date) between November 1, 1985 and October 31, 1986. In the case of a non-competitive film festival, the film must have been accepted for exhibition and screened. In the case of a competitive film festival (or in the competitive area of a designated festival that screens both competitive and non-competitive entries), a film entered in competition must have won a best-in-category award. “Recognized” non-competitive or competitive film festivals comprise those established film festivals on the Academy’s Festival List which may be obtained from the Academy. Proof of acceptance or honors must be submitted with the entry form.
      OR
    2. Any documentary is also eligible which is publicly exhibited (within two years of completion date) for paid admission in a commercial motion picture theater in the Los Angeles area (defined as Los Angeles, West Los Angeles or Beverly Hills) for a consecutive run of not less than a week between November 1, 1985 and October 31, 1986.
      OR
    3. Documentary films will also be eligible for award consideration (within two years of completion date) if they have been recognized by the Council on Non-theatrical Events (CINE) in the form of a Golden Eagle Award.
  6. The final winning documentary entries in the Academy’s Annual Student Film Awards competition of 1986 (not the regional winners) will also be eligible. However, any student filmmaker submitting a film for consideration in the Documentary Awards categories may not subsequently enter the same film in the Student Film Awards competition.
  7. The print submitted for Academy Award consideration must be identical in content and length to the print utilized for the festival or commercial exhibition. All entries submitted must include a description of the subject written in English. The entry blank and synopsis should be submitted as soon as possible. The deadline for entry forms and prints to be received in the Academy office is October 31, 1986. Foreign entries must also comply with this rule.
  8. Prints should be shipped prepaid to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California 90211-1972. Those not chosen as nominations for final balloting by the active Academy membership will be returned prepaid to the sender. Prints submitted will be retained by the Academy until the voting process is completed and will not be loaned for use by others during the period of the voting process.
  9. The Documentary Awards Committee will view all films entered. The point system of voting, i.e., 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or 4, is to be used in determining the nominations. Those films receiving an average score of 8.0 or more shall become the nominations. However, there may be not more than five nor fewer than three nominations in each category. Final voting for the Documentary Feature Award and Documentary Short Subjects Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members who will have attended Academy screenings or other exhibition of all nominated achievements in each Documentary Award classification.
  10. “Except in instances in which the producer is unable to comply herewith, every award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards, and such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. Such print shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.” (Academy Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 1, [f].) Unless notified to the contrary, the Academy will retain for its archives every print chosen as a nomination for final balloting on the Documentary Awards.
  11. Films submitted for Documentary Awards consideration may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories if they meet the requirements of the special rules governing those other categories. However, they may not qualify for the Best Picture of the Year Award, Best Foreign Language Film Award or Best Short Films Awards. Films submitted for Documentary Awards consideration shall not be eligible for Academy Award consideration in any category in any subsequent awards year.

Thirteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE FILM EDITING AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Film Editors Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Film Editing Award.
  3. In accordance with General Rule Six, Paragraph 2, only principal position credit(s) shall be considered eligible for the Film Editing Award.
  4. Final voting for the Film Editing Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.

Fourteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM AWARD

  1. This award (Academy Statuette) will be given for the best feature-length motion picture produced with a basically non-English sound track, first released in the country of origin between November 1, 1985 and October 31, 1986, and first publicly shown in a commercial theater for the profit of the producer and exhibitor. The picture need not have been released in the United States. The print submitted for award consideration must be identical in form with the version released in the country of origin. Also, the country of origin must certify that creative talent of that country exercised artistic control of the film. Dialogue track must be predominantly in a language of the country of origin and English subtitles are required. If the eligibility of any entry is questioned, the Acadamy [sic]shall make a determination.
  2. Every country shall be invited to submit its best film to the Academy. Selection of the best picture from each country shall be made by one organization, jury or committee which should include artists and/or craftspeople from the field of motion pictures. Only one picture will be accepted from each country.
  3. The official entry blank, together with a synopsis in English, must be received in the Academy office not later than Thursday, November 6, 1986.
  4. Prints should be shipped prepaid as early as possible as the Academy cannot accept pictures for award consideration later than Monday, December 1, 1986. Prints submitted will be retained by the Academy until the voting process is completed and will not be loaned for use by others during the period of the voting process.
  5. The Academy will provide entry blanks to the proper committee in each country so that the producer of the film selected can supply full information on his or her picture. All questions on the blank should be answered as fully as possible and should be supplemented by any other cast, credit or fact sheets available.
  6. All foreign films sent to the Academy will be screened by the Academy Foreign Language Film Award Committee. After the screenings, the committee will vote by secret ballot to nominate five foreign language pictures for this award. One representative of each picture nominated will be invited to attend the Academy Awards Presentation in March, 1987. The statuette will be awarded to the picture and not to any one individual.
  7. Final voting for the Foreign Language Film Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members who have attended Academy screenings, or other exhibition, of all five films nominated for the award.
  8. “Except in instances in which the producer is unable to comply herewith, every award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards, and such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. Such print shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.” (Academy Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 1, [f].) Unless notified to the contrary, the Academy will retain for its archives every print chosen as a nomination for final balloting on the Foreign Language Film Award.
  9. Films submitted for Best Foreign Language Film Award consideration may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, but not the Best Picture of the Year Award nor the Best Documentary Feature Award, provided they meet the requirements of the special rules governing those other categories. In order to qualify for other categories, the films must be publicly exhibited by means of 35mm or 70mm film for paid admission (previews excluded) in a commercial motion picture theater in the Los Angeles area (defined as Los Angeles, West Los Angeles or Beverly Hills) between January 1, 1986 and midnight of December 31, 1986 for a consecutive run of not less than a week after an opening prior to midnight of December 31st. Films submitted for Best Foreign Language Film Award consideration shall not be eligible for Academy Award consideration in any category in any subsequent awards year.

Fifteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE MAKEUP AWARD

  1. The Academy President shall appoint a chairman from the makeup artist members of the Academy and two co-chairmen who shall be Governors of the Academy. The Makeup Award Committee shall be formed from active and life members of the Academy, among them: makeup artists, hair stylists, art directors, cinematographers and others who are qualified and recognized experts in the field of makeup technology.
  2. There are three options under these rules.
    1. A Special Achievement Award for Makeup may be made by the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the Makeup Award Committee.
    2. If the committee finds that two productions, but not more than three productions, are deserving of its recommendation, those shall be placed on the final ballot as nominated achievements to be voted upon by all active and life members of the Academy.
    3. The Makeup Award Committee may also recommend to the Board of Governors that no award be made in a given year.
  3. A reminder list of all eligible productions shall be sent with a ballot to all makeup artist and hair stylist members of the Academy who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions. A maximum of seven productions receiving the highest number of votes from this initial balloting shall be the achievements to be considered for the Makeup Award.
  4. The producers of the films selected for award consideration (or the directors of those films) shall provide the committee with the name of the makeup artist of credit principally responsible for the achievement in each of the productions along with a written description of the makeup achievement. In rare exceptions, and only when approved by the Makeup Award Rules Committee, more than one individual may be considered as having contributed equally to a single achievement. It is the intention of these rules to recognize the achievement of the person(s)—not to exceed three in number—responsible for the required look of the live performers in a motion picture.
  5. Makeup, as an achievement or a craft, shall be determined by the Makeup Award Rules Committee. Eligibility of the contributor(s) to the makeup achievement, for nomination purposes, shall be determined by the Makeup Award Rules Committee.
  6. The producers (or the directors) shall also be requested to provide the committee with film excerpts of selected scenes showing the makeup achievements. Excerpts shall be from composite prints of the final release versions of the productions and shall not exceed ten minutes in total running time.
  7. The Makeup Award Committee shall meet to screen the film excerpts and vote on the achievements. Producers of the productions under consideration (or their representatives) may attend the meeting if they so choose.
  8. Immediately after the screening of excerpts and discussion relative to them, voting shall be conducted as follows:
    1. a ballot, listing the productions in their running order (which shall have been determined by lot) shall be distributed to the committee. All members must mark a score of 10, 9, 8, 7 or 6 opposite each of the achievements.
    2. A maximum of three productions achieving the highest average point score of 8.0 or more may be nominated for the Makeup Award.
    3. If, as a result of this balloting, only one production achieves an average point score of 8.0 or more, the committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors that a Special Achievement Award for Makeup be made to that production.
    4. If no production receives an average score of 8.0 or more, the committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors that, in its opinion, no award for achievement in makeup should be made that year.
  9. Such other rules or modifications as may be necessary for the proper conduct of this award shall be adopted by the Makeup Award Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Board of Governors.

Sixteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE MUSIC AWARDS

  1. CATEGORIES

    I. Best Original Score

    An original score is a substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring originating with the submitting composer(s).

    II. Best Original Song

    An original song consists of words and music, both of which are original. There must be a substantive rendition (not necessarily visual) of both lyric and melody (clearly audible, intelligible and recognizably performed as a song) in the film.

    III. Best Original Song Score

    An original song score consists of not fewer than five original songs by the same writer or team of writers used either as voice-overs on the sound track or visually performed. Each of these songs must be substantively rendered and must be clearly audible, intelligible and recognizably performed as a song. The score’s chief emphasis must be the dramatic usage of these five or more songs. What is simply a group of songs unrelated to the story line of the film will not be considered a valid song score. The adapter (if any) may be eligible together with the writer(s) of the songs if his or her contribution is substantial and includes creative techniques such as expansion, contraction, reharmonization or other alterations.

  2. RULES FOR ALL CATEGORIES
    1. The work must be created specifically for the eligible feature-length motion picture.
    2. The measure of the work’s qualification shall be its effectiveness, craftsmanship and relevance to the dramatic whole.
    3. The work must be recorded for use in the film prior to any public performance in, or exploitation through, any of the following or similar media: radio, television, stage, night clubs, public exposure of any kind (where an audience is admitted with or without admission charge), literary material, phonograph records, tapes and publication in sheet music form available for purchase by the public.
    4. Only the principal writer(s) responsible for the conception and execution of the work as a whole shall be eligible for an award. This expressly excludes supervisors or partial contributors from eligibility.
    5. The Executive Committee shall resolve all rules interpretations and all questions of eligibility.
    6. It is within the sole and confidential discretion of the Board of Governors to determine what awards, if any, shall be given.
  3. SUBMISSIONS
    1. For an achievement to be eligible for nomination in any of the three music categories, an OFFICIAL SUBMISSION FORM, obtainable from the Academy, must be requested personally by the principal writer(s) who alone may make the submission.
    2. Submission may be made prior to the qualifying Los Angeles release opening, but must be made no later than sixty days after such opening.
    3. The final deadline for all submissions is noon of December 31.
    4. The Executive Committee has the right, but not the obligation, to initiate submissions in all three categories, but must do so no later than noon of December 31.
  4. VOTING
    1. A reminder list of works submitted in each category shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Music Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in each category.
    2. The five achievements in each category receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the Music Awards.
    3. If there are fewer than twenty qualified works submitted in any category, nominations will be limited to three. If there are fewer than four qualifying works submitted in any category, the Executive Committee may recommend to the Board of Governors that no award shall be given in that category this year.
    4. The entire active and life Academy membership shall vote for final selections in each category: BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, BEST ORIGINAL SONG and BEST ORIGINAL SONG SCORE.

Seventeen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all active and life members of the Academy who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. In the event a film has been entered in the Documentary Feature or Foreign Language Film Award categories, it shall not be eligible for the Best Picture Award.
  3. The five pictures receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Best Picture Award.
  4. The individual(s) who shall be credited for Academy Award purposes shall be the person(s) having screen credit as producer or produced by. Persons with screen credits of executive producer, co-producer, associate producer, produced in association with, or any other credit, shall not receive Academy Statuettes.
  5. Final voting for the Best Picture Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.

Eighteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

  1. Academy Awards for scientific or technical achievement shall be made by the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee. Awards may be given for devices, methods, formulas, discoveries or inventions of special and outstanding value to the arts and sciences of motion pictures and employed in the motion picture industry during the awards year. Posthumous awards for achievements in prior years will not be made in this category.
  2. The Academy President shall appoint annually outstanding representatives of the motion picture and technical fields to serve on the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee. The chairman of the committee shall notify each of the members of the committee, in writing, that the committee is dissolved upon the completion of its annual term.
  3. Awards for scientific or technical achievement may be granted in any of the three following classifications:

    ACADEMY AWARD OF MERIT (Academy Statuette)
    For basic achievements which have a definite influence upon the advancement of the industry.

    SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARD (Academy Plaque)
    For those achievements which exhibit a high level of engineering and are important to the progress of the industry.

    TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Academy Certificate)
    For those accomplishments which contribute to the progress of the industry.

  4. The committee shall endeavor to acquaint itself with all motion picture scientific or technical achievements of the awards year. To assist the committee, letters shall be sent to individuals and organizations engaged in scientific or technical developments for motion pictures, requesting that they submit any information they may have regarding achievements which may have been developed in their own or any other organizations.
  5. A list of all achievements being considered shall be widely publicized to permit anyone with claims of prior art or with devices similar to those under consideration to bring them to the attention of the committee.
  6. The committee shall then conduct a series of meetings and examinations and, when feasible, shall arrange for such demonstrations as are necessary to evaluate the achievements properly and make recommendations for action by the Board of Governors.
  7. In evaluating the achievements, the committee shall seek to acquaint itself with all devices, methods, formulas, discoveries or inventions similar to those being considered.
  8. Where achievements are covered by patents, the committee may request that copies of the patent be made available to it.
  9. Full claim for originality and development of each achievement must be established to the satisfaction of the committee. If any controversy should arise as to the origin or authorship of an achievement, the committee may request that the Academy Board of Governors postpone action until proper credit shall have been established.
  10. The committee may appoint subcommittees for each technical classification in which there are achievements to be considered. The chairman of each subcommittee shall be one of the members of the subcommittee and shall conduct its meetings and discussions.
  11. Each subcommittee shall consider all achievements in its field. The subcommittees shall not make recommendations as to award classification on the achievements, but shall evaluate them by completing prepared questionnaires. Those evaluations shall be forwarded to the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee.
  12. All voting by the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee shall be by secret written ballot. All decisions as to award recommendations and classifications shall require a two-thirds majority vote. Members of the committee having a personal connection with any achievement shall not be present during discussion of that achievement except by invitation of the chairman. Members of the committee who do not have a personal connection with the achievement but who are affiliated with the organization responsible for the achievement may be present at the discussion and voting at the discretion of the chairman, but may not vote on the achievement.
  13. The committee shall recommend to the Academy Board of Governors the person(s) and/or organization(s) to whom an award shall be made, the type of award and the text thereof.
  14. In recommending awards, the committee will judge to the best of its ability the scientific or technical merits of the achievements, but does not warrant that the person or persons named are responsible for the origin or development of the achievement named in the award.
  15. It shall be within the discretion of the committee to recommend no awards if, in its judgment, there have been no achievements worthy of recognition. It shall also be within the discretion of the committee, but only on its own motion, to review any Academy Award conferred for scientific or technical achievement to determine whether the classification of such achievement should be elevated by reason of its contribution to the arts and sciences of motion pictures subsequent to the granting of such award, and to recommend elevation in classification to the Academy Board of Governors.
  16. Such other rules as may be considered necessary for the proper conduct of this award shall be adopted by the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Board of Governors.

Nineteen

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE SHORT FILMS AWARDS

  1. An award shall be given for the best achievement in each of two classifications:

    Animated Films

    1. An animated film usually falls into one of two general fields of animation: character or abstract. Some of the techniques of animating films include cel animation, computer animation, stop-motion, clay animation, puppets, pixilation, cutouts, pins, camera multiple pass imagery, kaleidoscopic effects and drawing on the film frame itself.

    Live Action Films

    1. A live action film utilizes primarily live action techniques as the basic medium of entertainment.
  2. DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IN EITHER CATEGORY.
  3. Short films in either category must be composite prints in 16mm, 35mm or 70mm and may not be more than 30 minutes in running time. Dialogue or narration must be substantially in English or the film must have English subtitles. Any entry that deviates from the normal sound or projection system of the Academy’s theater must be approved by a majority of the Executive Committee and, if accepted, the submitter must be responsible for supplying any additional equipment.
  4. To qualify for these awards, short films must fulfill one of the following criteria:
    1. films must have had their first original exhibition within two years of completion date in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County for a paid full theatrical release of three consecutive days (no fewer than two screenings a day) between December 1, 1985 and November 30, 1986. However, a film will not be disqualified if it has had prior exhibition elsewhere (other than Los Angeles County) subsequent to December 1, 1984 provided such exhibition first occurred in a commercial motion picture theater or at a “recognized” competitive film festival described in paragraph 4 (b).
      OR
    2. Films must have participated in a “recognized” competitive film festival within two years of completion date between December 1, 1985 and November 30, 1986 prior to any other public exhibition and must have won a best-in-category award. Proof of honors must be submitted with the entry form. “Recognized” competitive film festivals comprise those established film festivals on the Academy’s Festival List which may be obtained from the Academy.
      OR
    3. Films will be eligible for award consideration within two years of completion date if they have been recognized by the Council on Non-theatrical Events (CINE) in the form of a Golden Eagle Award.
  5. The print submitted for Academy Award consideration must be identical in content and length to the print utilized for the paid play date or competitive festival participation. Newsreels, previews, advertising films, segments from feature-length films and documentary films shall be excluded. All entries submitted must include a description of the subject written in English.
  6. The final winning entries (not the regional winners) in the Academy’s Annual Student Film Awards competition of 1986 (excluding the documentary category) also will be eligible. However, any filmmaker submitting a film for consideration in the Short Films Awards categories may not subsequently enter the same film in the Student Film Awards.
  7. These awards shall be limited to the producer(s) (not more than two). Persons with screen credits of executive producer, co-producer, associate producer, produced in association with, or any other credit, shall not receive Academy Statuettes.
  8. The deadline for entry forms and prints to be received in the Academy office is November 30, 1986. Foreign entries must also comply with this rule.
  9. Only one entry in each classification will be accepted from each producer, or each identical producing team.
  10. No film may be submitted more than once for Academy Award consideration.
  11. Prints should be shipped prepaid to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California 90211-1972. Those not chosen as nominations for final balloting will be returned prepaid to the sender. Prints submitted will be retained by the Academy until the voting process is completed and will not be loaned for use by others during the period of the voting process.
  12. A Reviewing Committee will view all films entered and mark all entries 10 (excellent), 8 (good), 6 (fair) or 4 (poor). Not more than ten films in each category receiving the highest average numerical scores above 7.5 shall be considered further.
  13. All entries selected by the Reviewing Committee shall be screened by the Branch Nominating Committee consisting of all active members of the Academy Short Films Branch. Those members of the Short Films Branch who served on the Reviewing Committee and who viewed all the submitted films in either or both categories are entitled to receive ballots by mail. The running order of the subjects in each classification shall be determined by lot. The point system of voting, i.e., 10, 8, 6 or 4, is to be used at this screening to select nominations. Those films receiving an average score of 8.0 or more shall become the nominations. However, there may be not more than five nor fewer than three nominations in each category.
  14. Final voting for the Short Films Awards shall be restricted to active and life Academy members who may vote only at a special Academy screening of the nominated achievements for one subject in each of the two classifications. However, those members of the Short Films Branch who served on the Nominating Committee and who viewed all the nominated films are entitled to receive ballots by mail.
  15. Excellence of the entries shall be judged on the basis of originality, entertainment and production quality without regard to cost of production or subject matter.
  16. All technical and classification questions shall be resolved by the Executive Committee.
  17. “Except in instances in which the producer is unable to comply herewith, every award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards, and such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. Such print shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.” (Academy Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 1, [f].) Unless notified to the contrary, the Academy will retain for its archives every print chosen as a nomination for final balloting in each category of the Short Films Awards.

Twenty

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE SOUND AWARD

  1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Sound Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions.
  2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Sound Award.
  3. The talents of the rerecording mixers on a panel (not to exceed three) and the production mixer will be judged as contributing equally to a sound track achievement. On an Official Data Record supplied by the Academy the producer (or his/her designee) and/or the sound director shall designate the eligibility of the co-rerecording mixing collaborators and the production mixer for Academy Award purposes. In the event an additional rerecording mixer or an additional production mixer is used, the sound director shall designate the three-man rerecording mixing staff and the producer shall designate the production mixer of primary contribution.
  4. Following a review of the Official Data Records, determination of nomination eligibility shall be the responsibility of the Academy, as provided in General Rule Six.
  5. The Theater Sound Inspection Committee shall inspect and approve the projection sound system of the Academy’s theater at least four weeks prior to the annual screening of nominated achievements. No changes may be made in the sound system after final approval by the committee. Any production that deviates from the normal sound system, or requires modification of the system, must be approved by a majority of the committee before the final check of the system. Notification of such deviation or modification requirements must be submitted to the Academy at least three weeks in advance of the inspection and approval of the sound system. Any composite release print that plays on the normal projection sound system of the Academy’s theater requires no special approval of the committee.
  6. Before screening films nominated for the Sound Award, representatives of the pictures to be shown may run portions of their pictures to determine fader settings. At the actual screenings, however, representatives may make any adjustments they deem necessary, but only during the first ten minutes of dialogue. No further fader adjustments may then be made.
  7. Final voting for the Sound Award shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.

Twenty-one

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE SOUND EFFECTS EDITING AWARD

  1. The Academy President shall instruct the chairman of the Sound Branch Executive Committee to appoint sound editors and other members of the branch to serve on the Sound Effects Editing Award Committee.
  2. There are three options under these rules.
    1. A Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing may be made by the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the Sound Effects Editing Award Committee.
    2. If the committee finds that two productions, but not more than three productions, are deserving of its recommendations, those shall be placed on the final ballot as nominated achievements to be voted upon by all active and life members of the Academy.
    3. The Sound Effects Editing Award Committee may also recommend to the Board of Governors that no award be made in a given year.
  3. A reminder list of all eligible productions shall be sent with a ballot to all sound editor members of the Academy Sound Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions. The seven productions receiving the highest number of votes from this initial balloting shall be the achievements to be considered further for the Sound Effects Editing Award.
  4. The producers of the films selected for award consideration (or their designees) shall provide the committee with the name of the sound editor principally responsible for (and directly involved in) the planning, creation, supervision and execution of the sound effects editing for each of the achievements. In rare exceptions—and only when approved by the Sound Effects Editing Award Rules Committee—a maximum of two individuals may be considered as being principally responsible for a single achievement.
  5. The producers (or their designees) shall also provide the committee with film excerpts of selected scenes from composite prints of the final release versions of the achievements. Excerpts from each production shall not exceed ten minutes in total running time. Double system or picture-and-track excerpts shall not be submitted.
  6. The Sound Effects Editing Award Committee shall meet to screen the film excerpts and vote on the achievements. Producers of the productions under consideration (or their representatives) may attend the meeting at the option of the committee.
  7. The sound editors identified by the producers of the films under consideration shall prepare written descriptions of the sound effects editing achievements for distribution to the committee prior to its meeting to view the film excerpts.
  8. Following the screening of film excerpts and discussion relative to them, voting shall be conducted as follows:
    1. a ballot, listing the productions under consideration in their running order, shall be distributed to all members of the committee except those whose achievements are under consideration. All voting members must mark a score of 10, 8, 6 or 4 opposite each of the achievements. This point system shall represent a rating of excellent (10), good (8), fair (6) or poor (4). After the ballots have been tabulated, only those productions achieving an average of 8.0 or more will be considered further.
    2. If no production receives an average score of 8.0 or more, the committee shall recommend to the Academy Board of Governors that, in its opinion, no award for achievement in sound effects editing should be made that year.
    3. Excerpts from the production(s) to be considered further may be screened again at the option of a majority of the committee present.
    4. A nominations ballot listing the production(s) under consideration shall be cast. Voting shall be on a diminishing scale of 10, 9, 8, 7 or 6. A maximum of three productions achieving the highest average point score of 8.5 or more may be nominated for the Sound Effects Editing Award.
    5. If, as a result of the nominations balloting, only one production receives an average score of 8.5 or more, the committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors that a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing be made to that production. The committee shall provide the Board of Governors with a written description of the sound effects editing requirements (dialogue replacement, effects creation or assembly, etc.).
    6. If no production receives an average score of 8.5 or more, the committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors that, in its opinion, no award for achievement in sound effects editing should be made that year.
  9. Such other rules or modifications as may be considered necessary for the proper conduct of this award shall be adopted by the Sound Effects Editing Award Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Board of Governors.

Twenty-two

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE VISUAL EFFECTS AWARD

  1. The Academy President shall appoint a chairman who will form a committee from active and life members of the Academy, among them: art directors, cinematographers and others who are qualified and recognized experts in the field of visual effects technology. An executive committee on rules, a steering committee and a nominating committee shall constitute the Visual Effects Award Committee.
  2. There are three options under these rules.
    1. A Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects may be made by the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the Visual Effects Award Nominating Committee.
    2. If the nominating committee finds that two productions, but not more than three productions, are deserving of its recommendation, those shall be placed on the final ballot as nominated achievements to be voted upon by all active and life members of the Academy.
    3. The nominating committee may also recommend to the Board of Governors that no award be made in a given year.
  3. The Visual Effects Award Steering Committee shall review a reminder list of all eligible motion pictures and shall cast secret ballots to select a maximum of seven productions for further consideration. Achievements shall be judged within the parameters defined by the Visual Effects Award Executive Committee on Rules and on the basis of:
    1. the necessity of the visual effects employed,
    2. the skill and fidelity with which the visual illusion is achieved and
    3. consideration of the contribution the visual effects make to the overall production.
  4. The producers of the films selected for award consideration (or their designees) shall be requested to provide the committee with:
    1. written descriptions explaining the procedures used to create the effects,
    2. film excerpts—not to exceed fifteen minutes (1,350 feet) in total running time—showing the effects described and
    3. the name(s) of the individual(s)—not to exceed four in number—directly involved with, and primarily responsible for, the visual effects achieved.
  5. A meeting of the Visual Effects Award Nominating Committee shall be held to view the film excerpts and vote upon the achievements. Written descriptions of the effects shall be sent to the committee prior to the meeting.
  6. The producers (or their designees) may assign qualified representatives to attend the meeting of the nominating committee.
  7. Following the running of film excerpts and discussions relative to the achievements, voting shall be conducted as follows:
    1. a ballot listing the productions under consideration shall be cast. Each member must mark a score of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or 4 opposite each of the productions. This point system shall represent a rating of 10, for the highest level on the scale of achievement, to 4, the lowest level. After the ballots have been tabulated, only those productions with an average score of 7.5 or more will be considered further.
    2. If no production receives an average score of 7.5 or more, the nominating committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors that no award for achievement in visual effects be made that year.
    3. Excerpts from the productions to be considered further may be screened again at the option of a majority of the committee present.
    4. A nominations ballot listing the productions retained shall be cast using a diminishing scale of 10, 9, 8, 7 or 6 to grade the achievements. After the ballots have been tabulated, if only one production achieves an average score of 8.0 or more, the nominating committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors that a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects be made to that production. If two productions, but not more than three productions, receive an average score of 8.0 or more, they shall be achievements nominated for the Visual Effects Award. If none of the productions receives an average score of 8.0 or more, the nominating committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors that no award be made for achievement in visual effects that year.
  8. Such other rules or procedures necessary for the proper conduct of this award shall be adopted by the Visual Effects Award Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Board of Governors.

Twenty-three

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE WRITING AWARDS

  1. An award shall be given for the best achievement in each of two categories:

    Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

    Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

  2. A reminder list of all pictures eligible in each category shall be sent with nominations ballots to all members of the Academy Writers Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five productions in each category.
  3. The five productions in each category receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Writing Awards.
  4. Final voting for the Writing Awards shall be restricted to active and life Academy members.

Twenty-four

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD

  1. Nominations for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award shall be made at a special meeting of the Board of Governors. Consideration for this award shall be limited to creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production.
  2. Following completion of the nominations for this award, a written secret ballot shall be taken on which the Governors vote for each of the nominees in the order of their preference. The nominee receiving the highest numerical score shall be considered further in a second secret ballot to determine if this award shall be given. If the candidate receives a majority vote of the Governors present, he or she shall receive the Thalberg Award.
  3. No proxies shall be permitted in balloting for the Thalberg Award.
  4. No individual shall be eligible to receive the Thalberg Award more than once.
  5. The Thalberg Award shall not be voted posthumously.
  6. No member of the Board of Governors shall be eligible to receive the Thalberg Award while serving as a member of the Board.

Twenty-five

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD

  1. Nominations for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award shall be made at a special meeting of the Board of Governors. Consideration for this award shall be limited to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.
  2. Balloting for the Hersholt Award shall be conducted in the same manner as in Rule Twenty-four, Paragraph 2.
  3. No proxies shall be permitted in balloting for the Hersholt Award.
  4. No individual shall be eligible to receive the Hersholt Award more than once.
  5. The Hersholt Award shall not be voted posthumously.
  6. No member of the Board of Governors shall be eligible to receive the Hersholt Award while serving as a member of the Board.

Twenty-six

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE GORDON E. SAWYER AWARD

  1. Nominations for the Gordon E. Sawyer Award shall be made at a special meeting of the Board of Governors. Consideration for this award shall be limited to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry.
  2. Balloting for the Sawyer Award shall be conducted in the same manner as in Rule Twenty-four, Paragraph 2.
  3. No proxies shall be permitted in balloting for the Sawyer Award.
  4. No individual shall be eligible to receive the Sawyer Award more than once.
  5. The Sawyer Award shall not be voted posthumously.
  6. No member of the Board of Governors shall be eligible to receive the Sawyer Award while serving as a member of the Board.

BALLOTING INFORMATION CHART
59th Annual Awards - 1986 Calendar Year
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

AWARDNOMINATIONS BALLOTINGFINAL
BALLOTING
MAXIMUM
NUMBER OF
NOMINATIONS
NOMINATING GROUPS
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
5
5
5
5
Academy Actors Branch Members. Final Balloting by Active Academy Membership
ART DIRECTION 5 All Members of the Academy Art Directors Branch except Costume Designers.
CINEMATOGRAPHY 5 Academy Cinematographers Branch Members.
COSTUME DESIGN 5 Costume Designer Members of the Academy Art Directors Branch.
DIRECTING 5 Academy Directors Branch Members.
DOCUMENTARY AWARDS:
  FEATURES
  SHORT SUBJECTS

5
5
Documentary Awards Committee.
FILM EDITING 5 Academy Film Editors Branch Members.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM 5 Foreign Language Film Award Committee.
MAKEUP 3 Makeup Award Committee.*
MUSIC:
  (I) ORIGINAL SCORE
  (II) ORIGINAL SONG
  (III) ORIGINAL SONG SCORE

5
5
5
Academy Music Branch Members.
BEST PICTURE 5 All Active and Life Academy Members.
SHORT FILMS:
  ANIMATED FILMS
  LIVE ACTION FILMS

5
5
Academy Short Films Branch Members.
SOUND 5 Academy Sound Branch Members.
SOUND EFFECTS EDITING 3 Sound Effects Editing Award Committee.*
VISUAL EFFECTS 3 Visual Effects Award Nominating Committee.*
WRITING:
  SCREENPLAY WRITTEN
    DIRECTLY FOR THE SCREEN
  SCREENPLAY BASED ON
    MATERIAL FROM ANOTHER
    MEDIUM


5


5
Academy Writers Branch Members.

OTHER AWARDS

SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL AWARDSVoted by Board of Governors based on recommendations of the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD
JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD
GORDON E. SAWYER AWARD
HONORARY AWARDS
Voted by Board of Governors.

* In the event there are fewer than two nominations, a Special Achievement Award may be voted by the Board of Governors.