Oscars Chief Melidonian Steps Down, Stays as Consultant
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Teni Melidonian is stepping down as chief Oscars officer effective immediately, per an email AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer sent to staffers.
- Melidonian will stay on as a consultant for the next year after a two-decade Academy tenure that started in 2005 as a publicist and included stints leading communications and Oscars strategy.
- Bill Kramer's restructuring moves Awards Production/Special Events and Talent Relations under Jen Davidson's Marketing, Communications and Content team.
- Member Screenings and Awards Ticketing will shift to Meredith Shea's Membership, Impact and Industry team under the new alignment.
- The reshuffle comes as AMPAS prepares for its 100th Oscars ceremony and the transition to YouTube, which holds exclusive global rights through 2033.
- The Oscars will air on ABC for the final time in 2028 before the 2029 move to YouTube, with the Ankler first reporting the Academy changes.
Why it matters: The leadership shuffle consolidates AMPAS's production and marketing functions under one roof while spreading membership and ticketing elsewhere — a structural bet that the YouTube era demands tighter alignment between show production and audience-facing content. With the Academy's 100th ceremony and platform switch both landing in the same two-year window, Kramer is clearing the decks to run both transitions under a leaner top team.
