Critics' Choice Awards Voting to Add 'Star Wars' to Best Picture Nominees in Unheard-of Move

In a completely unheard-of move, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, which produces the Critics' Choice Awards, is voting to add Star Wars: The Force Awakens to its list of nominees for Best Picture. Nominations were announced Dec. 14, well before critics saw the latest film in the Star Wars franchise.

According to The Wrap, BFCA members were sent an email early Friday asking members if they wanted to add the film to the list of Best Picture nominees. This comes after an apparent outcry from a large number of the association's 300-plus members to add the film.

Polls for the nominations closed last week. According to the email, members are being asked to vote on the following question: if they had been able to see the film before polls had closed, would they have included it in their five choices for Best Picture?

If the poll, which is being conducted on Monday, indicates that enough people would have voted for the film to be a Best Picture nominee, the film will likely be added to the list. This would bring the number of total nominees from 10 to 11, which has never happened before in the history of the Critics' Choice Awards.

This isn't the first time the rules have been bent for the epic space drama. Nominations for the annual AFI Awards were delayed for over a week so voters could catch the film and vote on it. The move paid off, as The Force Awakens managed to nab a spot on the coveted Movies of the Year list alongside awards' season favorites, Spotlight, The Martian and Mad Max: Fury Road.

The email detailing the move can be read in its entirety below:

"To the BFCA Membership,

"In the wake of an unprecedented cry out from you - the BFCA Membership - the Board of Directors has decided to poll the membership on Monday to determine whether we should add 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' to our list of Critics' Choice Award nominees for Best Picture.

"The question will be: If you had seen 'The Force Awakens' before casting your Critics' Choice Awards ballot, would you have included it in your five choices for Best Picture?

"As you know, the studio chose not to screen the film for awards voters in advance of its premiere on Monday. However, our purpose in presenting the Critics' Choice Awards is to celebrate the finest cinematic achievements of the year. It appears that many members believe 'The Force Awakens' deserves to be included.

"In this unique situation, we think this is the best way to proceed."

The Critics' Choice Awards winners will be announced Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016.