The Los Angeles fires, which have already burned more than 160 square kilometers, are greatly affecting the life of the California city, also in its cultural aspect. The Film Academy sent a statement this Monday announcing that it will once again delay the announcement of nominations for the Oscars, which are initially scheduled to be held on March 2. In principle, they were to take place on Friday, January 17, but last week they decided to move the date to Sunday, the 19th. Now, they will be on Thursday, the 23rd.
With 24 dead and two fires (Eaton y Palisades) impossible to control, it is not a good time for parties or champagne, and the Academy wanted to be sensitive and cautious. Hence, he has also announced that he is canceling his well-known nominees luncheon, a meal at the Beverly Hilton hotel to which Hollywood’s finest always attend. This year it took place on February 10, but it will not be celebrated. In addition, they also delay the delivery of the scientific-technical Oscars, which took place on February 18, for now sine the. It is not a good time, either, to occupy hotel rooms, when there are around 100,000 evacuated by the flames.
The decision to place the nominations on the 19th, Sunday, was surprising. It is true that 60% of the members of the Film Academy reside in Southern California, and that they demonstrated sensitivity, but it was a very short delay, barely 48 hours, and on a very rare day. The nominations are broadcast live at 5:30 in the morning, in order to reach television on the East Coast (where it is 8:30) in the morning programs, reach Europe in the early afternoon and in the night to Asia. But the fact that it was Sunday didn’t add up. It is also true that Monday the 20th was complicated, as it was a national holiday (Martin Luther King Day, celebrated on the third Monday in January) and also Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony. The move to Thursday the 23rd therefore makes more sense. The event will be virtual, without the media present in the room, as usual.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang issued a joint statement Monday saying: “We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses suffered by so many members.” of our community. The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing united in the face of hardship. With fires still raging in the Los Angeles area, we believe it is necessary to extend our voting period and change the date of our nomination announcement to give our members more time.” This period began on January 8 and ended tomorrow, Tuesday the 14th, but now extends until the 17th at five in the afternoon.
“As we want to be sensitive to the infrastructure and accommodation needs of the region in these coming weeks,” they continue, “it is imperative that we make some changes to our events calendar, which we believe will be supported by our industry. Our members always share how important it is for us to come together as a community, and we are determined to take this opportunity to celebrate that our industry is resilient and compassionate. We also hope to honor our frontline workers who have helped with the fires, recognize those affected, and encourage people to join the Academy to support relief efforts. “We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community.”
January and February are the busiest months in Hollywood, when its famous awards season takes place. This started last Sunday, January 5, with the Golden Globe Awards, where they triumphed Emilia Perez y The Brutalistand will conclude, barring delays, on March 2 with the Oscars. In between, all the unions (actors, screenwriters, producers, directors, makeup artists…) give out their own awards as well. In addition, the Grammys will be held on February 2 at the Crypto.com Arena, but they have been hanging on for days. According to information from the media specialized in entertainment The Hollywood Reporterthe CBS network—which broadcasts them—and the organizers of the gala were in talks to postpone them or to modify the tone. Instead of a traditional awards ceremony, they had thought of turning it into a charity gala to raise funds against the fires.
Finally, on Monday morning the awards sent a statement explaining that they will maintain the date of the gala and that “they will proceed as planned.” In addition, they have also revealed that they intended to donate one million dollars “to support creatives and music professionals”, but that thanks to additional contributions they have increased to two million. “At this year’s gala, however, we will have a new purpose: to raise additional funds to support fire relief and honor the courage and dedication of those who have helped and risked their lives to protect ours.”