How the Oscar nominations addressed the Los Angeles wildfires
The 2025 Oscar nominations were finally unveiled on Thursday, after being delayed due to the wildfires that have ravaged the Los Angeles area in recent weeks. The announcement ceremony, hosted Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang, was streamed live from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Before the announcement commenced, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang addressed the tragedy. “On behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, I want to welcome you and extend our deepest sympathies to everyone impacted by the fires here in southern California,” said Kramer.
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“This has certainly been a difficult time for Los Angeles, where many members of our film community industry work and live, but the last several weeks have proven what we already know to be true. Our film industry and Los Angeles are resilient,” Yang added. “And for almost a century the Oscars have brought us together to unite and celebrate our global film community.”
Kramer concluded: “During this year’s ceremony we will honor the talented filmmakers nominated today, pay tribute to our brave first responders, and celebrate the enduring spirit of Los Angeles and the film industry.”
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Voting was originally set to end Jan. 14 and nominations were schedule to be announced Jan. 17, but the fire crisis prompted the Academy to extend voting by three days and to push back the nominations announcement by six days. The Academy also canceled the 2025 nominees luncheon (which was supposed to take place Feb. 10) and postponed the scientific and technical awards ceremony (originally set for Feb. 18) to a later date to be announced.
As for the Oscars main event, there was a quickly refuted report that the show was “on the verge of being canceled.” Jean Smart and Stephen King both suggested the ceremony be shuttered considering at least 28 people were killed in the wildfires and thousands left homeless, though Rosanna Arquette argued for turning awards season into a series of fundraisers to benefit disaster relief efforts.
However, Kramer told Gold Derby that the Oscars would go on as planned on March 2 but “will include special moments acknowledging those who fought so bravely against the wildfires. We feel that we must go forward to support our film community and to use our global platform to bring attention to these critical moments in our history.” The ceremony will also honor the city of Los Angeles as a whole, “showcasing its beauty and resilience, as well as its role as a beacon for filmmakers and creative visionaries for over a century,” per a letter to Academy members from Kramer and Yang. But there will be no performance of the Best Original Song nominees.
As for the rest of the awards season calendar, the Grammys also decided to stick to their schedule; they’ll air on Feb. 2 and will take an approach similar to the Oscars. As Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told members, “This year’s show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.”
However, the Critics Choice Awards, which had been scheduled for Jan. 12, were postponed until Jan. 26, and then delayed again until Feb. 7. The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards and the ACE Eddie Awards were put on hold until a later date. The American Film Institute ceremony, the BAFTA tea party, and the Advanced Imaging Society’s Lumiere Awards luncheon were canceled.
Meanwhile, the Directors Guild and Producers Guild will hold their winners event on Feb. 8, the Writers Guild announced on Feb. 15, the BAFTA ceremony is on Feb. 16, the Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony takes place Feb. 22, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony follows shortly thereafter on Feb. 23.
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