Stephen King says cancel Oscars amid LA fires: I won’t vote

Stephen King announced on his Bluesky profile that he would not vote for the Oscars this year due to the fires in Los Angeles. He also believes the Oscars should be canceled amid the devastation in Los Angeles. The show remains set for Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

“I’m not voting for the Oscars this year. IMHO they should cancel them,” King wrote on Bluesky. “No pomp with Los Angeles on fire.”

Following the Los Angeles fires, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to extend the Oscar voting period and delay the announcement of nominations until Thursday, January 22. The nominations were initially scheduled to be announced on January 17. also canceled the annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon, originally scheduled for Monday, February 10. The organization announced plans to reallocate $250,000 from the nominees’ luncheon to wildfire relief donation efforts.

Shortly after the fires broke out, “Hacks” Emmy winner Jean Smart took to Instagram to urge TV networks to “seriously consider” not airing any awards shows during “the season.” Hollywood Celebrations” and donate the proceeds to first responders and Los Angeles. fire victims.

“Attention! With all due respect, during the season of celebration in Hollywood, I hope that one of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they have earned to fire victims and firefighters,” Smart wrote.

But not everyone agrees with King and Smart’s view. Rosanna Arquette recently spoke to Variety on why the Oscars shouldn’t cancel the 2025 ceremony.

“This year it’s not just about celebrating art,” she said. “It’s about using art to rebuild, inspire and help those who need it most. I woke up the other night thinking, “What if we did a Jerry Lewis telethon but integrated it into the Oscars?” Imagine Billy Crystal opening the show. He lost his home, but he’s the perfect person to bring the room together, to remind us of what we can achieve together.

Arquette initially shared her thoughts on Bluesky, writing: “I would love to see the Sag Awards, the Oscars and the Grammys this year turn the shows into telethons to raise money for the community, the city of Los Angeles, for the families who have lost. their homes, their pets and their life memories, as well as for our beloved firefighters who saved lives.

The Grammys have already announced that their 2025 ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 2 as planned, but with significant charitable elements added to raise money for those affected by the Los Angeles fires. It is not yet known whether there will be a glitzy red carpet as usual.