LA fires lead Oscar nominations to be delayed

The devastating wildfires blazing in the Los Angeles area have caused a two-day delay in the presentation of this year’s Oscar nominees.

The Academy Awards stars and films will now be announced on January 19, instead of Friday, January 17.

Additionally, the approximately 10,000 Academy members’ voting period, which began on January 8th, has been extended by two days, ending on Tuesday, January 14th.

Paris Hilton, James Woods, Miles Teller, and former Oscars host Billy Crystal are among the celebrities who have lost their houses in this week’s fire.

“You are in our thoughts.”

“We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer wrote in a statement to members on Wednesday.

“So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.”

Late on Wednesday afternoon, the most recent fire started in the Hollywood Hills, near Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Since Tuesday, the fires have devastated the local film and television industries in addition to the people of Los Angeles.

The 2025 Oscars will be hosted by Conan O’Brien on March 2 at the Dolby Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.

Events and awards canceled

In light of this, the Santa Monica-based Critics’ Choice Awards have also been rescheduled from January 12 to January 26.

“Our community has already been profoundly impacted by this unfolding tragedy,” stated Joey Berlin, the chief executive of the Critics’ Choice Association.

“All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected.”

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has canceled its networking event, the Bafta Tea Party.

The event was scheduled for Saturday, January 11 at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) nominations, which were originally scheduled on Thursday, January 9, will now not happen.

In light of the situation, Hacks star Jean Smart has publicly called on TV networks and streaming services to “seriously consider not televising” upcoming awards presentations.

“The revenue they would have garnered to victims of the fires and the firefighters” is what she requested broadcasters to do instead.

In a show of solidarity, Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx’s comedy Back in Action has been canceled for its New York premiere on Thursday.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Netflix said, “We acknowledge that many people in our industry and their loved ones are currently impacted, and our thoughts are with them at this time.”

While another of his ex-girlfriends, Jennifer Lopez, saw the premiere of her film Unstoppable cancelled by Amazon MGM Studios on Tuesday, Ben Affleck was spotted assisting his ex-wife and neighbor, Jennifer Garner, and their kids in moving their house away from the fires.

The premiere of “Wolf Man” was canceled by Universal Studios on the same day, and the Robbie William biopics “Better Man” and “The Pitt” were canceled by Paramount and Max on Wednesday.

Additionally, comedian Margaret Cho posted on Instagram to advise everyone to “stay safe” after canceling her weekend performances in Los Angeles.

TV shows have been put on hold.
FilmLA, which grants permits for filming in Los Angeles, issued an advisory warning that “personnel resources ordinarily available to support film production may not be available during the local state of emergency,” which has led to a glut of TV shows being suspended due to the current fires.

Fallout season two, Abbott Elementary, and Grey’s Anatomy are among the impacted series.

Additionally, NBCUniversal announced that it had halted production on the Golden Globe-winning Hacks, Ted, Suits: LA, Happy’s Place, and Loot.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! Among the unscripted programs that have already halted production and switched to repeats are the late-night series After Midnight and the CBS game show The Price Is Right.

Additionally, America’s Got Talent announced on Instagram that the auditions slated for Sunday had been postponed and that a new date will be announced shortly.

Adding, “Your safety is our top priority,”