The announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations has been postponed by two days due to deadly wildfires that have erupted in Los Angeles, BBC reports.
The ceremony to announce the nominees for the prestigious film award was scheduled for Friday, January 17, but the nominations for the Oscars will now be revealed on January 19. Voting for the nearly 10,000 members of the Academy, which opened on January 8, has also been delayed by two days, now ending on Tuesday, January 14.
In a letter sent to members on Wednesday, Academy Executive Director Bill Kramer stated: “We want to express our deepest condolences to those affected by the devastating fires across Southern California. Many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.”
The latest fire broke out in Hollywood Hills, near the Hollywood Boulevard and Hollywood Walk of Fame, on Wednesday afternoon. The fires caused havoc for both Los Angeles residents and the local film and television industry.
Additionally, the nominations for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) will not take place as planned on Thursday, January 9.
The fires have halted television production, as FilmLA, which issues filming permits in Los Angeles, issued a warning that “personnel resources typically available to support film production may not be available during a local emergency.”
