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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will require attendees of the 94th Oscars ceremony in March to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination and at least two negative results from PCR tests, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday.

Performers and presenters at the film industry's highest honours also must undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, but will not need to show proof of vaccination, the source said.

Face covering requirements will vary at the event on March 27 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, according to the source.

Nominees and their guests in lower sections of the theatre will not be required to wear masks. They will be seated with more distance than usual between groups, the source said. The Dolby seats 3,317 people and 2,500 people will be invited.

Those seated in the mezzanine may be required to wear masks, as they will sit shoulder-to-shoulder. Covid-19 cases are declining in Los Angeles County and organisers are consulting with government officials and infectious disease experts.

The vaccination policies were first reported by the New York Times.

Comic actor Amy Schumer, actor Regina Hall and fellow comedian Wanda Sykes, will host the awards, the first time three women will emcee the Oscars.

Director Jane Campion’s dark western The Power of the Dog leads the field of this year’s Academy Awards contenders with 12 nominations for the Netflix film, ahead of the 10 nods for science-fiction epic Dune.

Both will compete for the prestigious best picture trophy against Belfast, a drama about a family living amid sectarian conflict in late 1960s Northern Ireland; deaf community film CODA and Don’t Look Up, a darkly comic allegory about climate change.

Other best picture nominees include Japanese drama Drive My Car, King Richard, about the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams; coming-of-age story Licorice Pizza; thriller Nightmare Alley; and Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic musical West Side Story.