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Amid the devastating fires that continue to leave Los Angeles, California reeling, Hollywood’s awards season hangs in the balance. Many celebrities have lost their homes, as have thousands of others who live and work in the city. Jean Smart, who recently won a Golden Globe Award for her remarkable performance in HBO Max’s Hacks, is among those who feels awards ceremonies should be placed on the back burner.
Wednesday, January 8th, the actress took to Instagram to plead with networks not to televise their upcoming events. “ATTENTION! With ALL due respect, during Hollywood’s season of celebration, I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have garnered to the victims of the fires and the firefighters,” she wrote in her impassioned plea.
Not all her 162k followers on the platform agreed, with many pushing back, citing income concerns for those who would work on the telecast. “Many Angelenos, including people who lost their homes in the fires, are dependent on the work/income that these award season shows and events generate,” one follower wrote, in part.
So, are the Oscars 2025 canceled? Or will the biggest awards show of the year proceed as previously planned, despite the tragic wildfires in the area? Read on to find out what we know so far.
When Were the 2025 Oscars Scheduled?
The 97th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and air live on Sunday, March 2, 2025. The show airs on ABC and streams live via Hulu at 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST.
Are the 2025 Oscars Canceled Due to the Fires?
As of today, the Oscars have not been canceled and will go on as planned. However, some of the events leading up to the Oscars telecast have been altered significantly. On Monday, January 13, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences postponed (for the second time) their highly anticipated announcement of the Oscar nominations for 2025. According to USA Today, they also announced there will be no in-person media coverage allowed, with a simple virtual event.
Additionally, the Academy canceled their Oscar nominees luncheon originally set to happen on February 10, and extended this year’s voting period for nominations, to go through January 17. Finally, the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards have been bumped from February 18. A new date for the event has yet to be announced.
When Will Oscar Nominations Be Announced?
Oscar nominations will now be announced on Thursday, January 23, 2025. As stated above, they will be announced via a virtual event.
