The Oscars will take place in March as planned, the Academy confirmed on Thursday, adding that the ceremony will “honour Los Angeles as the city of dreams” and “acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires”.
In a letter from CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed that the ceremony will be held on 2 March and hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien.
It added that it will “move away from live performances” of the Best Song nominees and instead focus on the songwriters. It will also bring back the “Fab 5” moments, where individual film artists recognise nominees.
“Hosted by the incredible Conan O’Brien, our 97th Oscars will be a celebration of connection and collaboration – honouring the unifying spirit and creative synergy of moviemaking. We will highlight the transformative power of the teamwork that brings cinematic visions to life,” the letter read.
“We will honour Los Angeles as the city of dreams, showcasing its beauty and resilience, as well as its role as a beacon for filmmakers and creative visionaries for over a century. We will reflect on the recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism that defines Los Angeles and our industry.”
The letter was sent the day before nominations are set to be announced in a live broadcast by Bottoms actor Rachel Sennott and SNL star Bowen Yang from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. To watch, viewers can tune in on the Oscars website or Hulu.
Edward Berger’s papal drama Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, has garnered significant attention as has the divisive Netflix musical Emilia Pérez, which led with four wins at the Globes.
Palme d’Or winner Anora and Brady Corbet’s epic The Brutalist, featuring Adrien Brody, are also in the conversation.
In acting categories, Timothée Chalamet is a contender, with Dune 2 and Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown likely to receive attention. The Best Actress category is tight with Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) and Demi Moore (The Substance) likely to go toe-to-toe.
The wildfires in Los Angeles which killed 28 people have massively affected this year’s awards season, with the Academy extending the voting period for nominations earlier.
More than a dozen Hollywood premieres and awards ceremonies have been cancelled, including premieres for Amazon MGM Studios’ Unstoppable, which stars Jennifer Lopez; Universal’s film Wolf Man starring Julia Garner; and an awards season event for the Golden Globe-winning film Emilia Pérez.
Earlier this month, writer Stephen King asked for the Oscars to be cancelled this year, writing on Bluesky: “Not voting in the Oscars this year. IMHO they should cancel them. No glitz with Los Angeles on fire.”
Hacks star Jean Smart, who won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series earlier this month, also requested the same.
“With ALL due respect during Hollywood’s season of celebration, I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have gathered to victims of the fires and the firefighters,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.
The fires, one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, continue to burn through Los Angeles. The Palisades and Eaton fires that tore through parts of Los Angeles last week currently stand 70 per cent and 91 per cent contained, respectively.
A new fire started in Southern California on Wednesday, going from 500 acres to more than 8,000 in just a few hours, prompting fresh evacuation orders for more than 50,000 people, in an area already reeling from the blazes.
Crews on the ground and in the sky attacked the flames, which were spreading over 23 football fields every minute, according to ABC 7. It remains uncontained.
