ORGANISERS HAVE POSTPONED the announcement of this year’s finalists for the Oscars next month due to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, California.

Thousands of homes and businesses in northern Los Angeles have been destroyed as firefighters battle multiple blazes. At least 24 people have been killed during the wildfires and more than 90,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes.

Organisers of the Academy Awards have postponed the announcement of who is in contention to win an Oscar this year as there are still active fires in the area where the event was to be held.

The announcement will now be made during an online event on 23 January.

Irish rap group Kneecap have been nominated for two awards for their dramatised biopic of the same name. It is the second-ever Irish-language film to feature on the shortlist for the category.

As many of the Academy’s members have been impacted by the fires, CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang said last night that the voting period for choosing the finalists has been extended until Friday.

Many in the industry are weighing how to navigate the award season – an endless series of swanky premieres, galas and prize-giving ceremonies – without appearing tone-deaf to the suffering of a city that is home to hundreds of thousands working in film and TV.

Actress Jean Smart has advocated scrapping the entire season, urging TV networks to instead donate “the revenue they would have garnered to the victims of the fires and the firefighters” instead.

But the Academy said Monday that it would go ahead with its gala evening, the traditional finale to the season of gong-giving, hinting first responders would be present at the Dolby Theatre on 2 March.

“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,” Kramer and Yang said in a joint statement.

“We also look forward to honoring our frontline workers who have aided with the fires, recognising those impacted, and encouraging people to join the Academy in supporting the relief efforts.”

Music’s equivalent awards ceremony, The Grammys, would also proceed as planned, organizers said Monday.

A leaked letter from the organisers detailed that the music awards will be held at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, in coordination with local authorities. 

As well as honoring nominees including Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar, the show will look to raise cash to support relief efforts, and will pay tribute to first responders engaged in the battle against the blazes, the letter said.

The Sundance Film Festival, which begins next week in Utah, will also proceed. “Right now, we may mourn, but we also know it is important to carry on,” said organisers.

A lunch event, scheduled for 10 February, has been cancelled while a ceremony for scientific and technical awards, scheduled for 18 February, will be rescheduled.

Meanwhile, singer Beyoncé postponed a secret announcement she was set to make today.

Posting to her Instagram, she said she felt it was not the time to make the announcement and instead paid tribute to the “brave” first responders fighting the wildfires. She urged her followers to donate to a relief fund that she has set up for the cohort impacted by the blazes.

Contains reporting from © AFP 2025

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