Oscar Nomination Announcement Delayed Due to Massive Fires in Los Angeles, Voting Extended by 2 Days
The announcement of the final list of nominees for the 2025 Oscars has been postponed from January 17 to January 19 due to severe wildfires in Los Angeles. Additionally, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences extended the voting period for nominations by two days, reports Variety.
Voting, which began on January 8 for nearly 10,000 Academy members, was originally scheduled to close on January 12. However, due to the fires in Los Angeles, the deadline has been extended to January 14, with nominees now set to be announced on January 19.
Despite these changes, the date and time of the 97th Oscars ceremony remain unchanged: March 2 at 7 PM.
The Academy notified its members about the date changes via email. CEO Bill Kramer expressed condolences to those affected by the fires, noting that many Academy members live in the impacted Pacific Palisades area.
Additionally, the shortlist screening for the *International Feature Film* category, originally planned for Wednesday evening in Los Angeles, has been rescheduled to later this week.
The morning announcement of the SAG Awards nominations, which was to be hosted by Joey King and Cooper Koch, was replaced with a press release.
The AFI Awards luncheon, scheduled for January 10, and the BAFTA Tea Party, planned for January 11, have also been postponed.
The Critics Choice Awards ceremony, originally set for January 12 in Santa Monica, has been rescheduled to January 26.
Moreover, the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards were postponed from January 12 to January 26 due to the catastrophic fires in Southern California.
‘This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community. All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected,’ said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin.
According to the BBC, deadly wildfires are raging across the Los Angeles area, claiming lives and destroying homes of Hollywood stars. Among those who lost their homes to the fires are Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, and Adam Brody.
The death toll from the fires has risen to five, and evacuations have begun in the Hollywood Hills.
As The Gaze previously reported, the shortlist for the 97th Academy Awards includes documentary films about the war in Ukraine, ‘Porcelain War’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Ukraine’.