Longtime Academy staffer Teni Melidonian, who rose through the ranks over two decades at the organisation to oversee Oscars strategy, is stepping down amid a restructure.
Chief Oscars officer Melidonian will transition to a consultancy role for the next year as Academy CEO Bill Kramer moves awards production/special events and talent relations under Jennifer Davidson’s marketing, communications and content team.
Member screenings and awards ticketing will fall under the purview of Meredith Shea and the membership, impact and industry team.
The moves come as the Academy prepares to switch its ceremony to YouTube starting with the 101st show in 2029 in an effort to expand the global reach of the Oscars following years of ratings decline.
The 2026 Oscars drew an audience of 17.9m on ABC and Hulu, which was the lowest number in four years and marked a 9% drop against 2025.
Melidonian served as the organisation’s lead liaison with longtime broadcast partner Disney/ABC and was promoted to chief Oscars officer in January 2024 after previously serving as EVP of Oscars strategy.
In an email to staff this week Kramer wrote, “As we plan for the Academy’s 100th year as an organisation, our 100th Oscars ceremony and our transition to YouTube and a new Oscars venue, it is critical that we align our teams in a way that supports both our immediate priorities and our long-term vision.
He continued, “Planning for these milestones is already well underway, and we believe now is the right time to bring related functions more closely together to strengthen collaboration, efficiency, and strategic alignment.”
The marketing, communications and content team will continue to oversee external-facing programmes and relationships, while the membership, impact and industry team remains focused on global member and industry engagement.
Kramer wrote, “We are deeply grateful for Teni’s remarkable contributions over the past two decades. Her dedication and partnership have helped shape countless Academy initiatives, and her impact on this organisation will be felt for years to come.”
YouTube will stream the 101st ceremony from new venue L.A. LIVE in Downtown Los Angeles under a 10-year deal with AEG. Until then the ceremony will continue to take place at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and air on ABC in the United States and in more than 200 countries worldwide.
The YouTube deal runs through 2033 and includes the Governors Awards, the Oscars nominations announcement, the Oscars nominees lunch, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, Academy member and filmmaker interviews, film education programmes, and podcasts.
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