Oscar Nominations Announcement Delayed Two Days Due to LA Wildfires

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Due to the intense Los Angeles wildfires, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has postponed the voting period and nomination announcement for the 97th Academy Awards, which were originally scheduled from January 8 to January 14, 2025, with nominees announced on January 17, 2025. The wildfires, which began a day before the voting process started on January 8, forced evacuations of thousands in Los Angeles, causing numerous events to be either canceled or delayed. Unfortunately, the Academy Awards is among the latest events affected by the spreading wildfires.

According to Variety, the Academy has decided to prolong the voting period for the upcoming Oscars because of the fires in the Los Angeles County region. The new deadline for casting votes is Jan. 14, 2025, which is a delay of two days. It’s important to note that the announcement of nominations will now take place on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2024. Despite the extension, the Academy Awards ceremony itself remains scheduled for March 2, 2024, which is just under two months away.

The Academy choosing to reveal the nominees for their awards on a Sunday is an unusual move that goes against the common practice of announcing major news over the weekend. However, it seems that the Oscars are determined to stick with this approach. Interestingly, this decision coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. day and the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump, making Monday a potential three-day holiday weekend. The Academy is concerned that if they were to delay the announcement by a week, it could be overshadowed by the inauguration and the subsequent focus on the president in the following days. Consequently, if the nominations are delayed, so too would the Oscar ceremony.

Don’t Expect Any Jokes About the LA Fires at Upcoming Award Shows

Due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, several film and TV premieres have been called off. Production on numerous TV shows has temporarily stopped, with many homes burned down and over 40,000 people evacuated. The Palisades Fire currently spans over 15,832 acres and continues to grow. Regrettably, five lives have been claimed by the Eaton fires. This catastrophe marks a grim beginning for what many anticipated as a prosperous year in the movie and TV industry.

The devastating wildfires in 2023 have significantly and unfortunately affected the economy of the movie industry as well as millions of residents in Los Angeles County. It’s unlikely that Conan O’Brien will make light of this disaster during the 97th Academy Awards, but a tribute to the event seems probable.

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2025-01-09 18:03