Hollywood productions and events halted due to raging LA wildfires
The 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 14
By Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN
(CNN) — The devastating wildfires that continue to ravage the celebrity-filled enclave of Pacific Palisades and other areas have forced a production shutdown across Los Angeles, as well as the cancellation of a number of key award season events that were set to take place this week.
The Critics Choice Awards, originally set to be held this Sunday in Santa Monica, have been postponed to January 26, CNN has learned.
“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,” said Critics Choice Awards CEO Joey Berlin in a statement.
The Critics Choice Awards was set to be the second major televised Hollywood award show for the 2025 season, following last weekend’s Golden Globes.
The award show was set to be held at The Barker Hanger, a venue in Santa Monica, not far from the Pacific Palisades where fire has destroyed at least 1,000 structures and burned more than 5,000 acres. Evacuation orders have also reached residents in Santa Monica where the award show was set to be held.
Amid the ongoing wildfires in Southern California, a number of glitzy Hollywood events and red carpet premieres have also been cancelled.
The in-person nominations for the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were cancelled on Wednesday morning, instead being announced via press release.
The annual AFI Awards luncheon, which was set to be held on January 10, will be rescheduled. And the annual BAFTA Tea Party, a key stop in the Oscars race set for January 11 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, has been cancelled, the organization announced.
Also on Wednesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pushed back the Academy Award nominations announcement two days from January 17 to January 19, and extended the Oscars voting window to give Academy members – many of whom live in LA – more time to cast their ballots. (Voting for Oscars nominations opened Wednesday morning.)
Many Hollywood productions have been forced to stop filming, amid the high winds, smoke and dangerous fires.
More than a dozen shows that shoot in LA have halted production, according to The Hollywood Reporter, including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Hacks,” “Suits L.A.,” “NCIS” and “The Price Is Right.” Late night shows, like ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and CBS’ “After Midnight,” will also cease production on Wednesday, per Variety, which reports that the situation will be monitored for Thursday’s shows.
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