Hollywood Awards Season in Danger of Cancellation, Again, Due to Omicron Variant

Hollywood’s annual ritual of self-congratulation is in danger of cancellation as the Los Angeles area experiences a three-fold rise in coronavirus cases due in large part to the omicron variant. Pre-Oscar events are already being canceled as the entertainment industry prepares for what could be another season of empty red carpets.

Another scaled-back awards season could spell a disaster for the Academy Awards, which is coming off its lowest rated telecast in history. TV viewers have shown a reluctance to watch celebrities accept awards via Zoom, which puts awards show producers in an existential conundrum as blue-state politicians consider more restrictions and lockdowns.

This week, the American Film Institute postponed its annual AFI Awards luncheon while the Palm Springs International Film Festival canceled its awards gala. Britain’s BAFTA has also canceled its annual L.A. “tea” social gathering that was set for January.

So far, the Critics Choice Awards, set for January 9, is still set to take place with an in-person ceremony at the Fairmont Hotel in Century City in L.A.

The big question on Hollywood’s mind is whether or not the Oscars will return to normal this season — a possibility that is looking increasingly doubtful.

Tom Hanks arrives at the Oscars in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2020. Hollywood’s awards season has gone virtual. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Last year, the Academy created a scaled-back ceremony with a limited audience and masks galore. The result was just 10.4 million viewers, a drop of more than 50 percent from the previous year’s record low. The annual ABC broadcast has seen its viewership decline steadily since 2014, when it attracted 43.7 million viewers.

The Academy has yet to say what form this year’s Oscars will take. The ceremony is still set to take place March 27 at its traditional home at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

NBC has cancelled its telecast of the Golden Globes over the diversity controversy at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The HFPA has stated it will still hold a ceremony January 9 but it remains unclear what form it will take.

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