Oscar nominations postponed until January 23 extend voting amid LA fires

The Academy Awards have announced updates to their schedule, extending the nomination voting period and rescheduling key events in light of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.

The voting period, originally scheduled to end on Tuesday, January 14, will now continue until Friday, January 17 until 5 p.m. PT. Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 23 at 5:30 p.m. PT. Nominations will be revealed during a virtual event without in-person media coverage. The 97th Academy Awards remain scheduled for Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theater at Ovation Hollywood.

The Academy also announced the cancellation of the annual Oscar nominees luncheon, originally scheduled for Monday, February 10. In addition, the presentation of the scientific and technical prizes, scheduled for Tuesday February 18, will be postponed to a later date which has not yet been set. determined.

“We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses suffered by so many people in our community,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. joint press release. “The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry and we are determined to remain united in the face of difficulties. Due to the ongoing fires in the Los Angeles area, we believe it is necessary to extend our voting period and move up the date of our nomination announcement to allow more time for our members.

The Academy also donated $750,000 to the Motion Picture & Television Fund. The fires, which disrupted many premieres and events in the Los Angeles area, led to multiple organizational adjustments.

Kramer and Yang’s statement continued: “Additionally, as we want to be sensitive to the region’s infrastructure and lodging needs over the coming weeks, it is imperative that we make some changes to our events calendar, which we believe has the support of our industry. Our members still share the importance of us coming together as a community, and we are determined to take this opportunity to celebrate our resilient and compassionate industry. We also look forward to honoring our frontline workers who contributed to the fires, recognizing those affected, and encouraging people to join the Academy in supporting relief efforts. We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community.

Dozens of critically acclaimed films and performances round out this year’s award contenders, including: Sean Baker’s comedy-drama “Anora” starring Mikey Madison, Jon M. Chu’s hit musical “Wicked” starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, and the religious thriller “Conclave” by Edward Berger. with Ralph Fiennes – all should be among the nominees.