Oscar Nominations Delayed Again as Los Angeles Wildfires Blaze Continues

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed on Monday that the Oscar nominations will again be delayed, this time to Thursday, January 23—the latest shift on Hollywood’s awards calendar as the industry grapples with the devastating, ongoing impacts of the wildfires raging around Los Angeles. The announcement will be virtual instead of the previously planned in-person event. The window for voting, which remains ongoing, has also been extended through this Friday, January 17 at 5:00pm PST.

have been directly impacted by the fires, with the submission of ballots now the last thing on some voters’ minds. Vanity Fair has learned that the Academy is committing $750,000 to the Motion Picture Television Fund to help those affected.

A slew of events in Los Angeles, mapped out months in advance to capitalize on the final stage of phase-one Oscar campaigning, were canceled last weekend out of both respect and safety, including a sold-out retrospective series for Timothée Chalamet and a CAA-hosted reception for I’m Still Here, the Brazilian drama surging after star Fernanda Torres pulled off a surprise Golden Globe win. Smaller films often accelerate their campaigns in January, following these boosts in visibility, to compete with larger films with budgets that extend for months.

As of Monday, the campaign trail remains essentially shut down. The assessment of what’s been lost is still just beginning, and continued threatening weather conditions have kept the city on edge. Insiders point to the Critics Choice Awards’ rescheduled date of Sunday, January 26, as a moment when the town may begin coming together again, albeit in a reduced and relatively solemn capacity.

The Sundance Film Festival, meanwhile, announced on Monday that the Park City, Utah showcase for new independent films will launch next week on January 23 as scheduled. “Right now, we may mourn, but we also know it is important to carry on,” CEO Amanda Kelso and festival director Eugene Hernandez said in a letter to attendees. “Despite the challenges so many are confronting, we’re making our final preparations for this year’s Festival, as in times like these, our mission to support artists, uplift their work, and connect to communities is paramount.”

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