The Oscars are moving to April. | Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

The ceremony’s shifting eligibility window suggests that Hollywood has rigged its own system.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the elite organization of film industry professionals that votes on and hands out the Oscars — announced on June 15 that the 2021 ceremony would officially be moved to Sunday, April 25. The ceremony was previously scheduled for February 28.

Since much about the Covid-19 pandemic remains unclear, from treatment and vaccine timelines to the safety of large gatherings in early 2021, there’s no telling what form the ceremony will take — it could be held virtually, presented with a limited in-person audience, or some other option. But the decision is the first in a very long chain of dominoes.

The Academy also announced other changes. The group had