Academy Extends Oscars Voting, Changes Date of Nominations in Response to LA Wildfires
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended Oscar nomination voting and moved the date of the nominations announcement from Friday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 19 in response to the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles.
In an email sent to members on Wednesday afternoon, AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer said that Oscar nomination voting, which had been scheduled to end on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 12, would be extended by two days and would close on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Voting began on Wednesday morning.
As a result, the nominations announcement would be delayed by two days and would take place on a Sunday for the first time ever.
Other changes include screenings and pre-nomination “bake-offs” in select categories.
The moves were the latest in a string of awards-related changes because of the wildfires. Earlier on Wednesday, the American Film Institute announced that it was postponing its AFI Awards luncheon scheduled for Friday, Jan. 10; BAFTA announced the cancellation of its annual BAFTA Tea Party, which had been scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 11; and the Critics Choice Awards moved its date from Jan. 12 to Jan. 26.
Here is the email sent to members by Kramer:
Dear Academy members,
We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California. So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.
Given the fire situation, we want to share some updates regarding an extension to the Oscars nominations voting window as well as updated information on Oscars Shortlist Screenings, Oscars Bake-Offs, and the Academy Museum.
Nominations voting for the 97th Oscars opened this morning at 9am PT. We will be extending the voting window by two days to give members more time to cast their ballots. Voting will now close on Tuesday, January 14 at 5pm PT.
As such, our Oscars Nominations Announcement will move from Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19. More information on the announcement will follow soon.
The International Feature Film Shortlist Screening scheduled to take place this evening in Los Angeles will be rescheduled to later this week. Shortlist screenings will continue as scheduled in New York and London. Please note that all 15 shortlisted films in the International Feature Film category are available on the Academy Screening Room (ASR).
The in-person Los Angeles Sound Branch Bake-Off scheduled for Saturday, January 11 has been canceled. The Bay Area, London and New York Sound Bake-Off schedules remain unchanged. Please note that the Sound Bake-Off will be available to all members on the ASR.
The in-person Los Angeles and New York Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch Bake-Offs scheduled for Saturday, January 11 have been canceled. Members of the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch are invited to participate in a virtual discussion with the designated nominees that will be held on Saturday, January 11 – with details to follow soon. Please note that Bake-Off clips of the shortlisted films will be available on the ASR.
The in-person Los Angeles and Bay Area Visual Effects Branch Bake-Offs scheduled for Saturday, January 11 have been canceled. Members of the Visual Effects Branch are invited to participate in a virtual discussion with the designated nominees that will be held on Saturday, January 11 – with details to follow soon. Please note that Bake-Off clips of the shortlisted films will be available on the ASR.
Finally, the Academy Museum is closed today, Wednesday, January 8. All screenings will be rescheduled. Please go to www.academymuseum.org for more information.
If you have any questions, please let me know or please feel free to contact Academy Support. They can be reached at support@oscars.org or +1 855.742.9140 from 8am – 8pm PT.
Thank you for your understanding during this complex time. We hope everyone is safe.
Bill Kramer
CEO
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