The Oscar nominations voting process has been extended until Friday, and the announcement of the nominees has been postponed for the second time due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.
The new date for the nominations announcement is set for January 23 at 5:30 a.m. PT. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday that the ceremony would be conducted virtually with no live media broadcast.
According to the Academy, the Oscars event will still take place on March 2 at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
Strong Santa Ana winds and unusually dry conditions have fueled the wildfires, which have burned across 40,000 acres in the Greater Los Angeles area and killed at least 24 people. Evacuation orders for the Palisades Fire, the biggest fire, were extended this past weekend. As of Monday morning, it was 14% contained and poses a threat to Westwood, Brentwood, and Encino.
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In a statement, Academy president Janet Yang and CEO Bill Kramer said, “We are all heartbroken by the impact of the fires and the profound losses suffered by so many in our community.” “The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship.”
The Academy also announced that the annual Oscars Nominees Luncheon, which was previously planned for February 10th, will not take place this year as part of the scheduling alterations.
Originally set for February 18, the Scientific and Technical Awards “will be rescheduled to a later date yet to be determined.”
“Our members always share how important it is for us to come together as a community, and we are determined to use this opportunity to celebrate our resilient and compassionate industry,” Kramer and Yang stated. “We also hope to recognize those affected, honor our frontline workers who have helped with the fires, and inspire others to join the Academy in supporting the relief efforts.” Together, we will overcome this and help our international cinema community feel better.
Numerous industry events, including those related to awards ceremonies, are still being canceled as the flames continue to cause displacement and disruption to daily life in Los Angeles.
High-profile projects were delayed by several organizations; for example, Meghan Markle’s upcoming Netflix series “With Love, Meghan” was rescheduled for release in March. Additionally, some projects’ production was temporarily halted.