Oscars 2025: Nominations postponed for second time due to Los Angeles wildfires
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has postponed the announcement of Oscars nominations for a second time due to the Los Angeles wildfires.
On January 8th, the Oscars initially extended their voting period for nominations by two days to January 14th. An announcement regarding the nominations was also pushed back until January 19th. Now, this period has been extended again until January 17th ahead of the nominations being shared on January 23rd.
Additionally, the annual Oscars luncheon, scheduled for February 10th, has been cancelled for 2025. However, organisers have confirmed that the ceremony will go ahead as planned on March 2nd, 2025.
In a statement, CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang shared: “We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced 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 pair continued: “Due to the still-active fires in the Los Angeles area, we feel it is necessary to extend our voting period and move the date of our nominations announcement to allow additional time for our members. Additionally, as we want to be sensitive to the infrastructure and lodging needs of the region in these next few weeks, it is imperative that we make some changes to our schedule of events, which we believe will have the support of our industry.”
They concluded: “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. We also look forward to honoring our frontline workers who have aided with the fires, recognizing those impacted, and encouraging people to join the Academy in supporting the relief efforts. We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community.”
At this stage, the wildfires that began on January 7th have yet to be fully contained and are continuing to wreak havoc in Los Angeles. According to the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner, 24 people have died as a result of the wildfires, and more than 12,000 structures have been destroyed in a 40,000-acre vicinity.
Many high-profile figures from the entertainment industry have lost their homes due to the fires, including Mel Gibson, Mandy Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Paris Hilton, and Adam Brody.
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