Hollywood started the New Year with a bang as the Golden Globes kicked off awards season at the weekend.
Just a few days later, the scenes in Los Angeles are very different as wildfires tear through the county.
The homes of stars including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal have been destroyed, while other celebrities have been evacuated along with thousands of others.
Several premieres for films including the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, and Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez, were called off yesterday, and now key dates in the awards season calendar are being postponed or cancelled as firefighters battle the wildfires.
Production has also come to a halt on several television programmes.
Paris Hilton is among those who have lost their homes. Pic: AP
Critics Choice Awards
The annual ceremony was due to take place this weekend, but has been postponed by two weeks, to 26 January, “due to the catastrophic fires”, organisers said in a statement.
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 rescheduled show will still take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and will air live on E!.
Demi Moore won a Golden Globe at the weekend – but nominations for the Oscars are now likely to be an understated affair. Pic: AP
BAFTA Tea Party
While the BAFTAs is a UK awards ceremony, organisers hold a networking event in the US ahead of the show each year.
The 2025 party was due to take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on Saturday. However, it has now been called off.
“The safety of our colleagues, friends and peers in Los Angeles remains our utmost priority and our thoughts are with everyone impacted,” a spokesperson said.
Pic: AMPAS
Oscar nominations
Nominations for the biggest ceremony of awards season were due to be announced next Friday, 17 January, with films including The Brutalist, Emilia Perez, Wicked and The Substance set to be in the running.
The academy has reportedly announced a two-day extension to the nominations voting window “to give members more time to cast their ballots”, with the announcement of the shortlists now due to take place on Sunday 19 January.
Chief executive Bill Kramer confirmed the move in a memo to members, reported by US entertainment publications including Variety and Deadline.
“We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California,” the statement said.
“So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.”
More information on the nominations announcement will follow soon, he said.
Read more:
Why are there wildfires in January?
‘Truly apocalyptic scenes’ as flames swallow homes
Writers Guild of America (WGA) nominations
The nominations for the awards, which recognise outstanding writing in film, television, new media, news, radio and promotional categories, were due to take place today.
However, a spokesperson from WGA West and WGA East said that “with Los Angeles under a state of emergency due to multiple wildfires”, the announcement has been postponed to Monday, 13 January.
The Los Angeles wildfires mapped, as of Thursday morning
General filming
FilmLA, an agency which permits shoots in Los Angeles, has issued an alert advising that “personnel resources ordinarily available to support film production may not be available during the local state of emergency”.
The LA County Fire Department has instructed that all permits used for filming in areas including Altadena, La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge and parts of Pasadena are withdrawn, the agency said.
“Other permit revocations are possible,” it added.
NBCUniversal said it has suspended filming on TV shows Loot, Ted, Suits: LA, Happy’s Place and Hacks – which was named best television series in the musical or comedy category at the Golden Globes on Sunday, alongside a win for actress Jean Smart.
Simon Cowell at the America’s Got Talent quarter-finals in 2024. Pic: Faye’s Vision/Cover Images/AP
America’s Got Talent
Auditions for Simon Cowell’s US version of the hit talent show were due to take place on Sunday.
In a statement on Instagram, producers announced these would be postponed to a date to be confirmed.
“Your safety is our top priority. We will announce a new audition date soon. Stay safe,” a statement said.
