Oscars Shift Schedule Due to LA Wildfires

The Oscars have decided to push back their nomination voting period and change the date of their announcement due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. The voting, which was supposed to end on January 14, will now close on January 17 at 5 p. m. PT. Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards will be revealed on January 23 at 5:30 a. m. PT, in a virtual event without media presence. The main ceremony is still set for March 2 at the Dolby Theatre.The Academy also canceled the annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon and postponed the Scientific and Technical Awards. These changes were made to give members more time to vote and to be considerate of the region's infrastructure needs. The Academy donated $750, 000 to the Motion Picture & Television Fund to support those affected by the fires. Many highly praised films and performances are in the running for this year's awards. These include Sean Baker's "Anora, " Jon M. Chu's "Wicked, " and Edward Berger's "Conclave. "