Oscar nominations ‘further delayed’ amid LA wildfires
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The Oscars nominations have been delayed for a second time as wildfires raged across Los Angeles, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy previously offered a two-day extension to the voting window “to give members more time to cast their ballots”, pushing back the nominations announcement until January 19 as thousands were evacuated from their homes.
On Monday, chief executive Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang confirmed nominations for the 97th Oscars will be rescheduled until January 23 in a virtual event “without in-person media coverage”. “We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced by so many in our community,” a joint statement said.
“The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship. “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.”.
Mr Kramer and Ms Yang also confirmed they have made “imperative” changes to scheduled events, including cancelling the annual nominees luncheon, to be “sensitive to the infrastructure and lodging needs of the region in these next few weeks”. The Oscars ceremony remains scheduled for Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
