LA fires push back Oscar voting deadline and nominations

As wildfires continue to rage in Southern California, Hollywood's awards season has been upended.

This year's Academy Awards nominations were originally planned for this Friday, and had already been delayed once. As fires continue to burn, the Academy has extended the voting period and pushed the nominations announcements once more, this time, to Jan. 23; Now actors, directors, cinematographers, screenwriters, and many others will have to wait until next week to find out if they're in the running for an Oscar. In addition, the annual luncheon honoring nominees has been canceled.

"We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced by so many in our community," Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang wrote in an announcement. "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. Additionally, as we want to be sensitive to the infrastructure and lodging needs of the region in these next few weeks, it is imperative that we make some changes to our schedule of events, which we believe will have the support of our industry."

The Writers Guild of America says it is also delaying announcements of its awards nominations "until further notice."

Oscar ceremony is still on schedule

The Oscars themselves remain scheduled for a televised ceremony on March 2. Some in the industry have urged changes to this year's awards season: On the app BlueSky, actress Rosanna Arquette urged awards shows including the Oscars to raise money for the city, firefighters, and families who have lost everything.

The show will go on for other entertainment events. The Grammy Awards are still set for Feb. 2, with the telecast set to raise money for wildfire relief.

Universal Music Group, which represents artists such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, announced it is canceling all of its Grammy-related events, "and will redirect the resources that would have been used for those events to assist those affected by the wildfires."

The Sundance Film Festival announced it will still be held in Park City, Utah beginning next week.

"We've had many conversations with artists, volunteers, industry/press, trustees, donors, partners, and staff. The losses we're witnessing and so many are experiencing are hard to fathom and deeply emotional," wrote acting CEO Amanda Kelso and festival director Eugene Hernandez, in a letter shared with NPR. "Our community has a history of coming together when passion and perseverance are needed most, drawing strength from the deep bonds that make us so resilient. Right now, we may mourn, but we also know it is important to carry on."

The wildfires continue to disrupt the film and TV industry that has made Southern California famous. Many who work in the business have lost homes and neighborhoods to the flames that have ravaged the area. Some red carpet premieres have been scrapped, and productions paused on TV shows and films, causing more anxiety for those in the business already concerned about downturns in the industry and productions that have been leaving the Los Angeles area.

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