The Oscar Academy’s board of governors approved a new award category on Tuesday – outstanding achievement in popular film. The introduction of a new category was among three changes which were approved.

The introduction of a new category based on popular appeal means the Oscars are acknowledging the need to highlight those films that have been successful at the box office. Superhero films such as Black Panther could now stand a much better chance of being recognised during awards season.

In a message to its members, the Academy said eligibility requirements for the new category and other key details would be "forthcoming". The new category also seems to be a move to allay criticism that many of the films acknowledged by the Oscars are "increasingly irrelevant" and do not reflect what the viewing public want to watch. “We have heard from many of you about improvements needed to keep the Oscars and our Academy relevant in a changing world. The board of governors took this charge seriously,” the Academy said in a letter to members, which was made available to media.

Ratings for the 2018 90th Academy Awards fell to an all-time low of 26.5 million viewers, down 19 per cent from the previous year and this was the first time the glitzy awards ceremony had fewer than 30 million viewers since 2008. It also clocked in at nearly four hours, making it the longest show in over a decade.

The Academy has now said that they are “committed to producing an entertaining show in three hours.” In the letter, they explain that this will be achieved partly by “present[ing] select categories live, in the Dolby Theatre, during commercial breaks (categories to be determined).” Those categories will not be removed from the telecast; instead, “the winning moments will then be edited and aired later in the broadcast.”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2018 04:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).