Beloved Oscars categories like animated short and original score slashed from live telecast

The 94th Academy Awards ceremony next month will feature a slimmed-down running time in an effort to increase viewership, organizers announced Wednesday. After last year's ceremony hit a record low number of viewers, with only 9.85 million people tuning in, the awards show seems to be in a bit of reshaping. 

The Academy President David Rubin sent an email stating that eight categories from the upcoming ceremony will not be presented during the live telecast. "We must prioritize the television audience to increase viewer engagement and keep the show vital, kinetic, and relevant," Rubin said in the letter. 

The eight categories that have been cut from the show include documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short and sound.