As the wildfires in Los Angeles continue to destroy homes, businesses and lives, the idea of celebrating the film industry with a glamorous red carpet and millions of dollars spent on the lavish event might feel awkward.
The epicenter of the entertainment industry is facing uncounted levels of destruction physically and emotionally, so it’s not a surprise that many are suggesting the upcoming Oscars should be canceled altogether.
For now, however, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is saying the show will go on.
“After consultation with ABC, our board and other key stakeholders in the Los Angeles and film communities, we have made the carefully considered decision to proceed with the 97th Oscars ceremony as planned on March 2nd,” Academy Chief Executive Officer Bill Kramer said in a statement to The Los Angeles Times.
“This year’s ceremony will include special moments acknowledging those who fought so bravely against the wildfires. We feel that we must go forward to support our film community and to use our global platform to bring attention to these critical moments in our history.”
The statement said organizers are continuing to monitor the fire situation.
“The spirit of Los Angeles and our film community has always been one of resilience, and the Oscars represent not just a celebration of film, but the industry’s strength and unity in the face of adversity,” Kramer said.
The 2025 Oscar nominations are set to be revealed on Thursday, Jan. 23. The announcement had been planned for Jan. 17 but it was delayed because of the wildfires that started on Jan. 7.
The Oscar nominations will air live on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 a.m. Mountain Standard Time on the Oscars YouTube channel.
The 2025 Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 2, at 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
As per usual, the Oscars will air live on ABC.
If you’re looking to stream the awards, you can via subscriptions with Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV. Many of these subscription services offer a free trial.
Following tradition, the 97th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles.
Talk show host and comedian Conan O’Brien will host the Oscars in 2025.
Fellow talk show host Jimmy Kimmel did the honors in 2023 and 2024.
Yes, the first part of director Jon M. Chu’s 2024 hit based on the smash Broadway musical “Wicked” has made the shortlist of Oscar nominations for 2025.
Entertainment media outlets including The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Entertainment Weekly have all cast their predictions for every category for the 2025 Academy Awards.
It’s been an incredible year for movies and movie lovers.
We watched Paul Atreides rise to messiah in “Dune: Part 2,” learned the true story of the witches of Oz in “Wicked,” experienced the tumultuous love between a rich Russian heir and a Brooklyn sex worker in “Anora” and literally crawled out of our own skins watching the body horror film “The Substance.”
The consensus is clear: Best Picture will be a fight to the awards podium with frontrunners including “Conclave,” “The Brutalist,” “Anora,” “Wicked” and “Emilia Pérez.”
As for the other categories, you’ll have to either fall into a deep rabbit hole of reading every single prediction or you can watch it all unfold live on Sunday, March 2.
Review: ‘Wicked’ is so much more fun than I expected. And wow, Ariana Grande
Meredith G. White covers entertainment, art and culture for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. She writes the latest news about video games, television and best things to do in metro Phoenix.
