Oscars organizers have delayed the announcement of its 2025 nominations. The Academy has shifted its announcement and voting schedule in light of the ongoing California wildfires.
Deadline reports that Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) president Bill Kramer sent a letter to Academy members to confirm that the nominations' ceremony will be moved. Originally set for next Friday (Jan. 17), the 2025 Oscar nominees will now be announced next Sunday (Jan. 19). “We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California. So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you,” Kramer wrote.
The Oscar Nominations Announcement is Delayed Due to California Wildfires
The Academy CEO also announced that, “given the fire situation,” Oscars voting will be extended by two days to allow members more time to see this year’s slate of films. Oscars voting officially kicked off on Wednesday (Jan. 8) and was supposed to conclude on Sunday (Jan. 12). Now, Academy voters will have until next Tuesday (Jan. 14) at 5pm PT to cast their votes. “We will be extending the voting window by two days to give members more time to cast their ballots,” Kramer wrote in his letter.
“So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.”
Other Oscars-related events will be shifted or outright canceled in light of the California wildfires. The International Feature Film Shortlist Screening was supposed to take place on Wednesday (Jan. 8) but was postponed. Celebratory Bake-Off events for the Los Angeles Sound Branch, Los Angeles and New York Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch and Los Angeles and Bay Area Visual Effects Branch originally scheduled for this Saturday (Jan. 11) have been scrapped entirely. Other regional Oscar-related Bake-Off events will carry on as scheduled.
As of now, there is no change to plans for the 97th Academy Awards to be held on Sunday, March 2nd at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with Conan O'Brien as host. The 30th annual Critics' Choice Awards were scheduled to take place this Sunday (Jan. 12) in Santa Monica – with Chelsea Handler as host – but have been postponed to Jan. 26. Filming on major TV and film projects – including Fallout, Grey's Anatomy, Hacks and Suits: LA – has been postponed while rescue efforts continue.
The Academy Awards Schedule Has Shifted Due to Ongoing Recovery Efforts
Academy President Bill Kramer Confirms Oscars Voting will be Extended Due to Wildfires
Academy Awards 2025 Notable Dates | |
Oscars Milestone | Date |
Oscars Voting Started | Jan. 8, 2025 |
Oscars Voting Closes | Jan. 14, 2025, at 5pm PT (New Date) |
Oscar Nominations Announced | Jan. 19, 2025 (New Date) |
97th Academy Awards | March 2, 2025, at 4pm PT |
FilmLA, the group that issues filming permits in Los Angeles, released a statement about limited resources during recovery efforts: "With deepest appreciation for the efforts of local firefighters, police and paramedics at this difficult time, we advise the production community that personnel resources ordinarily available to support film production may not be available during the local State of Emergency."
Multi-time Golden Globe winner Jean Smart has called on TV networks to scrap award season’s remaining events in light of the ongoing natural disaster. In an Instagram post, she asked “with ALL due respect” for Hollywood to consider “donating the revenue they would have garnered to victims of the fires and the firefighters."
The disaster started after a blaze broke out in the Pacific Palisades area on Tuesday (Jan. 7), before rapidly engulfing 15,000 acres of land. Multiple other wildfires developed over the next two days, as Santa Ana winds battered Los Angeles. Local firefighters are battling blazes in the Pacific Palisades, Eaton Canyon, Sylmar and the Hollywood Hills, with dangerous air conditions and high winds expected to continue at least through Friday (Jan. 10).
California Wildfire Rescue and Recovery Efforts Continue
California wildfires broke out in the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday (Jan. 7), before spreading throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
Five people have been killed and more than 2,000 structures have been damaged since the wildfires started this week.
Fire relief efforts have been hindered by a diminishing water supply in the greater Los Angeles area.
Sports and entertainment events could be impacted by the fires, including the NFL’s Rams and Vikings playoff game on Monday (Jan. 13) potentially moving from Los Angeles to Arizona.
Numerous Hollywood stars have had their homes damaged or completely lost due to the wildfires, including Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy, Paris Hilton, John Goodman and Mandy Moore. Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice Goldfinger, announced the tragic news that their home of 46 years, in the Pacific Palisades, was among the approximately 2,000 structures burned. "Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. We ache for our friends and neighbors who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy,” Crystal told People.
Source: Deadline
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