Academy CEO Bill Kramer Gets Contract Extension Through Oscars 100th Birthday

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer has had his contract renewed and will continue to lead the organization behind the Oscars through July 2028, taking him through the Academy’s centennial. His contract was up for renewal in 2025, but the organization said it was approved one year early “due to [Kramer’s] exceptional leadership and significant contributions.”

“Bill is a dynamic and transformational leader, and the Board of Governors agrees he is the ideal person to continue to broaden the Academy’s reach and impact on our international film community and successfully guide the organization into our next 100 years,” said Academy President Janet Yang in a statement.

Kramer took over as CEO of the Academy in June 2022, replacing Dawn Hudson, who had led the organization for a decade. He first joined the Academy in 2012 and became the director of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in January 2020. Since becoming CEO, Kramer has launched Academy100, a fundraising drive to raise $500 million in the next four years. He also has tried to stabilize the Oscars telecast, which has seen its ratings slide as awards shows have declined in popularity. The 2023 and 2024 editions brought back emcee Jimmy Kimmel and received solid reviews. Viewership also improved from the lows it hit in 2021, but at roughly 20 million households, it’s significantly less than the record 50 million viewers that saw “Titanic” win best picture in 1998.

There have been controversies, however. Namely, a museum exhibit on the many Jewish immigrants — a group that includes Harry Cohn, Adolph Zukor, and Louis B. Mayer — that was slammed as antisemitic and criticized for dwelling on their womanizing and hard-charging business style instead of emphasizing their professional achievements. In an interview with Variety, Kramer said that the museum had taken “initial steps” to address some concerns raised and had convened “a group of leading museum experts with backgrounds in the Jewish community, civil rights and other marginalized communities” to advise it on providing additional context.

As CEO, Kramer will continue to oversee the Academy’s more than 700 employees in Los Angeles, New York and London.