Los Angeles: Hollywood started the New Year with a bang as the Golden Globes kicked off awards season, APA reports citing Sky News. Just a few days later, the scenes in Los Angeles looked very different as wildfires tore through the county. The homes of stars including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal have been destroyed, while other celebrities were evacuated along with thousands of others.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, several premieres for films including the Robbie Williams biopic "Better Man," and "Unstoppable," starring Jennifer Lopez, were called off as the fires first hit, followed by announcements of delays and cancellations for other key dates in the awards season calendar. Production also came to a halt on several television programs.
The Critics Choice Awards, an annual ceremony, was due to take place on 12 January but has been postponed by two weeks to 26 January, "due to the catastrophic fires," organizers said in a statement. Joey Berlin, chief executive of the Critics Choice Association, emphasized the profound impact on the community. The rescheduled show will still take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and will air live on E!.
While the BAFTAs is a UK awards ceremony, a networking event in the US ahead of the show each year was also impacted. The 2025 BAFTA Tea Party was due to take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on 11 January but was called off. A spokesperson emphasized the priority of safety for colleagues, friends, and peers in Los Angeles.
Nominations for the Oscars, the biggest ceremony of awards season, were initially due to be announced on 17 January. The academy initially extended the nominations voting window by two days to accommodate members. However, a week after the fires, they confirmed another postponement, with the nominations now set to be announced on 23 January virtually, without "in-person media coverage." The annual nominees luncheon has also been cancelled. Chief executive Bill Kramer stated the changes were necessary due to the region's needs following the fires. The Oscars ceremony will still proceed on 2 March.