The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today sent a letter to its members ahead of Thursday’s Oscar nominations, saying the ceremony will “honor Los Angeles as a city of dreams” and “reflect on the recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity and optimism that defines Los Angeles and our industry.
The group also said it would “move away from live performances” of the best song nominees and instead focus on the songwriters. The ceremony will also bring back “Fab 5” moments, where individual film artists recognize nominees.
“Our 97th Academy Awards will be a celebration of connection and collaboration – honoring the unifying spirit and creative synergy of cinema,” wrote Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang. “We will highlight the transformative power of teamwork that brings cinematic visions to life.”
Dear members of the Academy,
Our most sincere thanks to all of you for your compassion and support over the past few weeks. Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area. If you are interested in joining the Academy to support ongoing relief efforts, please click here for a list of help resources.
After ongoing consultations with ABC, our Board of Directors and other key stakeholders in Los Angeles and the film community, planning continues for the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2. This year’s Oscars will celebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and recognize those who fought so bravely against the wildfires.
As a reminder, our 97th Academy Award nominations will be announced tomorrow, January 23, at 5:30 a.m. PT via a global live broadcast on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, the Academy’s digital platforms (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube , Facebook), ABC. Hello Americaand ABC Live NewsDisney+ and Hulu. American Sign Language (ASL) services will be available on YouTube.
In anticipation of tomorrow’s announcement, we wanted to share a little about this year’s show. Hosted by the incredible Conan O’Brien, our 97th Academy Awards will be a celebration of connection and collaboration – honoring the unifying spirit and creative synergy of cinema. We will highlight the transformative power of teamwork that brings cinematic visions to life.
As part of this, we are excited to bring back our “Fab 5” moments, where individual film artists recognize nominees. Additionally, this year, the Best Original Song category presentation will move away from live performances and focus on songwriters. We’ll celebrate their artistry through the personal reflections of the teams who bring these songs to life. All this and more will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.
And we will honor Los Angeles as the City of Dreams, showcasing its beauty and resilience, and its role as a beacon for filmmakers and creative visionaries for more than a century. We will reflect on recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity and optimism that define Los Angeles and our industry.
There’s much more to come, including powerful musical moments that connect cinema’s rich history with its bold and inspiring future. We hope you’ll tune in tomorrow morning to watch the nominations announcement, and we greatly appreciate your continued commitment to the Academy and our film community. We are stronger together.
Bill Kramer and Janet Yang
