• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, June 24, 2009

Perhaps aiming to boost ratings for the annual showcase, the Academy Awards will have 10 nominees for Best Picture next year, up from the long-held five. At the very least, the move could up Oscar tune-in, as more viewers watch their favored movies and stars in competition.

ABC will again carry the awards next year, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and airing March 7.

"After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year," said Academy president Sid Ganis.

By widening the field, he added that the Oscars could also include documentaries, animated movies and comedies, a genre usually overlooked by nominators. He said the decision would allow the Academy voters to "recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race."

Years ago, the Best Picture field featured more than five nominees, but that practice stopped in the 1940s, when having 10 nominees was common. In 1939, 10 films were nominated; all are considered classics today, including "Gone With The Wind," "Wuthering Heights" and "The Wizard of Oz."

The Oscars posted higher ratings this year than 2008, with a 13% increase in the 18-to-49 demo and a 12% jump to 36.3 million total viewers. But the uptick came after the lowest-rated show ever in 2007.

While the Oscars still has a group of advertisers that return year after year, primarily looking to reach women, some veterans took a pass, or cutback, last year. General Motors dropped out largely because of its financial troubles, as did L'Oreal. Staple American Express ran just one spot. Still, with GM out, first-time advertiser Hyundai bought seven spots, and JC Penney continues to use the show as a major marketing vehicle annually.