In a normal year, this week—when Oscar nomination voting kicks off—is considered one of the busiest times of awards season. There is a flurry of events, panels, screenings, and Q&As as studios and awards strategists scramble to get a film seen before voters cast their ballots. There were also the Golden Globes on Sunday, as well as the SAG Awards nominations, DGA nominations, and NYFCC Awards on Wednesday.
But this was not an ordinary week for Los Angeles. The city is suffering devastating losses from the multiple major fires still ripping through the town. I’m Rebecca Ford, and I live near the Eaton fire. We evacuated to Palm Desert for the weekend after the air got too bad to stay in town. I was able to do this because it was clear that all of Hollywood—and awards season—would be shutting down for at least a few days, if not longer.
The AFI Awards luncheon, scheduled for Friday, was the first to be postponed; the Critics Choice Awards, planned for Sunday, soon followed. Other major awards events that were canceled included in-person appearances tied to Timothée Chalamet’s career retrospective mounted by the American Cinematheque, a CAA-hosted event for I’m Still Here, and The Last Showgirl’s Los Angeles premiere. Finally, the Academy announced that it would extend the voting window by two days (to January 14) and delay the nominations announcement, moving it from Friday, January 17, to Sunday, January 19.
Hollywood is taking everything day by day at this time, as it remains unclear how long it might take to get so many fires under control. I’ve talked to many in the industry who, even though they weren’t in an evacuation zone, have chosen to leave town because the air has become so unhealthy. It’s possible that more upcoming awards events may have to be shifted or canceled. The Critics Choice Awards have been rescheduled for Sunday, January 26, a more challenging date since Oscar nominations will have been announced—and nominees who aren’t still in the race for an Oscar may be less interested in attending. But here’s hoping that the town is in recovery mode by that time.
Hollywood has proven how agile and resilient it can be (it was only a few years ago that entire awards calendars were blown up by COVID). It’s a community whose members have come together to support one another before, and I expect it to be no different this time. Stay safe out there.
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