Paris Barclay’s Billy Preston Doc Kicks Off 99th Academy Awards Season

The race for the 99th Academy Awards has officially commenced, with Paris Barclay’s documentary, "Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It," becoming the first film uploaded to the Academy Screening Room. This members-only digital platform serves as the primary hub for Oscar voters to access and evaluate potential contenders throughout the awards cycle.

By securing the first spot on the platform, the Billy Preston project gains an early advantage in visibility among Academy voters. While this upload marks the unofficial start of the season, it signals the beginning of a rigorous eight-month campaign period. The Academy is expected to populate the screening room with a steady stream of new titles every Friday, covering a diverse range of categories including Best Picture, documentary, animation, and international features.

This development is significant for the industry as it sets the pace for the upcoming awards calendar. For distributors and filmmakers, the timing of an Academy Screening Room upload is a strategic decision, often used to build momentum and ensure their projects remain top-of-mind for voters. As the industry shifts into high gear, the inclusion of Barclay’s film highlights the continued importance of music-focused documentaries in the awards conversation and establishes the baseline for the competitive season ahead.