As firefighters gradually gain control over the wildfires across Los Angeles, life in Hollywood is edging back toward normalcy. After a series of spe
As firefighters gradually gain control over the wildfires across Los Angeles, life in Hollywood is edging back toward normalcy. After a series of speed bumps, the 2025 Oscar voting process is gearing back up, with a large milestone finally achieved as of 5 p.m. PT Friday.
There was a time just a few weeks ago when this year’s Academy Awards felt quite uncertain. Opportunities for some potential nominees to present their work to voters were canceled, with video presentations proposed instead. In-person screenings were rescheduled or spiked completely, as “Carrying on like business as usual doesn’t feel appropriate when the lives of so many we know and love have been devastated,” an industry insider told Vanity Fair.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer has bumped the 2025 Oscar nominations voting deadline twice since the blazes began, first a two-day extension from January 12 to January 14, then again to January 17. “Due to the still-active fires in the Los Angeles area, we feel it is necessary to extend our voting period and move the date of our nominations announcement to allow additional time for our members,” Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a joint statement last week. “Additionally, as we want to be sensitive to the infrastructure and lodging needs of the region in these next few weeks, it is imperative that we make some changes to our schedule of events, which we believe will have the support of our industry.”
As of publication time, the two most significant fires still vigorous in the region are the Palisades fire, which has reached 43% containment, and the Eaton fire, which is now 73% contained. So far, 27 people are confirmed dead from the fires, which have consumed 40,697 acres and destroyed 12,845 structures. For the latest statistics, visit the Cal Fire website.
The nomination voting deadline isn’t the only fire-spurred change to the 2025 Oscar calendar. The official nomination announcement, which was previously scheduled for Friday, January 17, was moved to Thursday, January 23 at 5:30 a.m. PT. Typically a live and in-person affair, the contenders will be announced in a virtual event this year. Nominees predicted by Vanity Fair include Cynthia Erivo in the Best Actress category for Wicked, Colman Domingo as potential Best Actor for Sing-Sing, and Zoe Saldaña as a possible Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez. (You can see VF’s full list of predictions here.)
Whoever is named, we won’t see them at the annual luncheon for nominees. Typically a glitzy campaign stop for hopefuls, the star-studded event will not be held this year. In addition, the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards—scheduled for Tuesday, February 18—have been postponed, and the modern date is TBA.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the large night, which, as of last week, remains firm and unwavering. “The 97th Oscars will still be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and air live in more than 200 territories worldwide,” Yang and Kramer reaffirmed on January 13, though they did so after noting “that all dates are subject to change.”
When the ceremony is held, expect an occasionally somber tone and acknowledgment of the firefighters and aid workers who’ve been toiling in the natural disaster. “Our members always share how important it is for us to come together as a community, and we are determined to use this opportunity to celebrate our resilient and compassionate industry,” Yang and Kramer say. “We also look forward to honoring our frontline workers who have aided with the fires, recognizing those impacted, and encouraging people to join the Academy in supporting the relief efforts.”
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