Oscars 2025 nominations delayed for second time as Academy responds to LA fires
by Ellie Iorizzo and Naomi Clarke PA · ChronicleLiveThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced a second postponement of the Oscar nominations due to the Los Angeles wildfires. The recent disaster has led to the extension of the voting deadline, with the Academy saying it has given members additional time for ballot casting and pushed back the nomination reveal to January 19 amid mass evacuations from homes.
On Monday, Bill Kramer, the chief executive, alongside Academy president Janet Yang, notified that the nomination event for the 97th Oscars will now be held on January 23 as an online affair, revealing the decision to exclude in-person media presence.
“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."
Modifications have also been made to upcoming events, including the annual nominees luncheon cancellation, according to Kramer and Yang. These alterations were deemed "imperative" to show consideration towards the region's immediate infrastructure and accommodation needs following the fires.
Despite these changes, the prestigious Oscars ceremony is set to proceed on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
"Our members always share how important it is for us to come together as a community, and we are determined to use this opportunity to celebrate our resilient and compassionate industry," the joint statement read.
"We also look forward to honouring our frontline workers who have aided with the fires, recognising those impacted, and encouraging people to join the Academy in supporting the relief efforts.
"We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community."
The devastation from the fires has wreaked havoc on Hollywood's awards season, leading to the delay of the Critics Choice Awards and Producers Guild Awards nominations among others.
Hollywood stars Mel Gibson, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Billy Crystal, Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg are among those who have lost their homes.
US reality TV star Paris Hilton has set up an emergency fund to support families who have lost their homes, starting it off with a personal donation of $100,000 (£82,000) after watching her Malibu home "burn to the ground on live TV".
Other celebrities, including The Hills stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, talk show host Ricki Lake, and songwriter Diane Warren, have also lost properties, with reports suggesting that Sir Anthony Hopkins' home was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire.
Meanwhile, US actress Jennifer Garner has been volunteering, helping to provide food relief for evacuees and emergency services, working alongside World Central Kitchen founder chef Jose Andres at one of the charity's pop-up locations in California.
In a tragic turn of events, Rory Sykes, a British-born former child star who was blind and had cerebral palsy, "died needlessly" in the Los Angeles wildfires, according to his mother Shelley Sykes, who told Australian TV channel Network 10 that he died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
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