Los Angeles Fires Threaten Hollywood Award Shows and TV Productions
The wildfires raging in Los Angeles have forced the pause or even cancellation of some key awards season events scheduled for this week and in the coming weeks. The Critics’ Choice Awards, which were set to take place this past Sunday, have been postponed to January 26. “This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community. All of our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and everyone who has been affected,” the awards’ CEO, Joey Berlin, said in a statement.
The Critics’ Choice ceremony was scheduled to take place at The Barker Hanger, a venue in Santa Monica near Pacific Palisades, where the flames have destroyed about 1,000 structures and burned more than 5,000 acres. These awards are not the only ones that have had to change their schedule due to the fires. The in-person nominations for the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) were cancelled on Wednesday morning and were announced via a press release. Meanwhile, the annual American Film Institute (AFI) Awards luncheon scheduled for January 10 has been rescheduled.
The annual BAFTA Tea Party scheduled for January 11 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills was cancelled. In addition, many productions in Hollywood have been forced to halt their filming due to strong winds, smoke and dangerous fires. The Hollywood Reporter reports that more than a dozen productions have been shut down so far, including Grey’s Anatomy, Hacks, Suits LA, NCIS and The Price Is Right. Late night shows Jimmy Kimmel Live! and After Midnight also paused production on Wednesday, according to Variety.
The Academy Awards, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has delayed the announcement of its Oscar nominations and extended the voting window to give Academy members, many of whom live in Los Angeles and have been affected by the complete loss of their homes and displacement, more time to vote. The announcement of the nominees was scheduled for Friday, January 17, but was postponed until January 19. “We want to offer our deepest condolences to all those who have been affected by the devastating fires in Southern California,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer wrote in a letter to Academy members, which was sent Wednesday afternoon. “So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.”
