Oscar nominations postponed because of LA fires

This year's Oscar nominations had been due to be annouced on 17 January

The announcement of this year's Oscar nominations has been delayed by two days because of the deadly wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area.

It had been scheduled for Friday 17 January, but the stars and films up for Academy Awards will now be revealed on 19 January.

The voting for the nearly 10,000 Academy members, which opened on 8 January, has also been extended by two days, until Tuesday 14 January.

Former Oscars host Billy Crystal is among the celebrities who have lost homes in this week's blaze, as well as Paris Hilton, James Woods and Miles Teller.

'We are thinking of you'

In a letter sent to members on Wednesday, Academy CEO Bill Kramer said: "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."

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The latest blaze broke out in the Hollywood Hills, close to Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, late on Wednesday afternoon.

The fires have caused havoc for LA residents, as well as the area's film and TV industry since Tuesday.

Conan O'Brien is set to host the 2025 Oscars ceremony at the Dolby Theater on Hollywood Boulevard on 2 March.

Awards and events called off

Against that backdrop, the Critics Choice Awards, held in Santa Monica, has also been moved, from 12 January to 26 January.

Joey Berlin, chief executive of the Critics Choice Association, said: "This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community.

"All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected."

The Bafta Tea Party, a networking event hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, has been cancelled.

The event had been due to take place The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on Saturday 11 January.

Elsewhere, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) nominations, will now not take place as planned on Thursday 9 January.

The Producers' Guild of America (PGA) has postponed announcing the nominees in its movie and TV categories until Sunday 12 January.

Meanwhile, Hacks star Jean Smart has made a public request for TV networks and streamers to "seriously consider not televising" forthcoming awards shows, given the circumstances.

She asked broadcasters to donate "the revenue they would have garnered to victims of the fires and the firefighters" instead.

The premiere of Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz's new film Back in Action has been cancelled

Thursday's New York premiere of Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx's action comedy Back in Action has been cancelled as a show of solidarity.

"We recognise many in our industry and their loved ones are currently affected and our thoughts are with them at this time," Netflix said in a statement on Wednesday.

Ben Affleck was seen helping his ex-wife and near neighbour Jennifer Garner and their children move home away from the fires; while another of his exes, Jennifer Lopez, saw the Tuesday premiere of her movie, Unstoppable, cancelled by Amazon MGM Studios.

Universal Studios scrapped the premiere of Wolf Man on the same day, while Paramount and Max did the same for Wednesday's premieres of the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man and The Pitt, repsectively.

And comedian Margaret Cho wrote on Instagram that she had cancelled her weekend gigs in LA, urging everyone to "stay safe".

TV productions halted

The ongoing fires have caused a glut of TV productions to be halted, after FilmLA - which gives permits to shoots in Los Angeles - issued an alert advising that "personnel resources ordinarily available to support film production may not be available during the local state of emergency".

The affected shows include season two of Fallout, plus Abbott Elementary and Grey's Anatomy.

NBCUniversal said it had also suspended filming on TV shows Loot, Ted, Suits: LA, Happy's Place and the Golden Globe-winning Hacks.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the CBS game show The Price Is Right and late-night series After Midnight are among the unscripted shows that have also paused production, with repeats being shown instead.

America's Got Talent also said on Instagram that Sunday's scheduled auditions had been postponed, noting how a new audition date will be announced soon.

"Your safety is our top priority," it added.