section_path: Ceremony information/Impact of Los Angeles wildfires
section_name: Impact of Los Angeles wildfires
paragraph_text: Impact of Los Angeles wildfires
  
  Voting for the nearly 10,000 Academy members opened on January 8, 2025, and was originally set to close on January 12, but due to the Southern California wildfires, the deadline for Oscar nomination voting was extended to January 17. The nominations announcement, originally scheduled to be announced on January 17, was delayed to January 23.
  
  Changes to the ceremony itself also occurred in the wake of the wildfires, with the Academy choosing to honor the Los Angeles community and its role in the film industry. As part of this shift, it was announced that the five musical pieces nominated for Best Original Song would not be performed live, and instead the songwriters would be highlighted through personal reflections and behind-the-scenes insight from the creative teams behind the music. In response, the Society of Composers & Lyricists urged the Academy to walk back its decision. A letter was sent to the Academy's CEO, president and board of governors, as well as to the producers of the telecast; the Academy declined to comment. During a virtual panel discussion for the Songwriters Hall of Fame in which all the songwriter nominees were in attendance, Diane Warren (nominated for "The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight) deemed the decision "extremely disrespectful". She added: "We've all written songs that are really integral to the movies they're in. And to me, it's unfair to both the nominees and the audience out there to not be able to hear them."
  
  In January 2025, addressing how the wildfires would affect preparation of the ceremony and his position as host, O'Brien told The Hollywood Reporter: "It's not the easiest assignment I've ever had, but I'm embracing it. And it's not about me, obviously. This is a moment for all of us to step back and say, 'Be humble.' Just be humble and say, 'This is a massive moment. This is a terrible thing that's happened in Los Angeles'... The strategy is my writers and I, and the team that I'm working with at the Oscars, who are fantastic, the producers, everyone, we've got all of our sensors out." That same month, O'Brien further expanded on his process amid the tragedies, speaking with ABC News on Good Morning America, stating: "There's a lot that's happening nationally that people are very tense about and it changes day to day. And so my job right now with my writers is to create possibilities... That's what we're doing. We're working hard to create possibilities."
  
  Voting for the nearly 10,000 Academy members opened on January 8, 2025, and was originally set to close on January 12, but due to the Southern California wildfires, the deadline for Oscar nomination voting was extended to January 17. The nominations announcement, originally scheduled to be announced on January 17, was delayed to January 23.
  
  Changes to the ceremony itself also occurred in the wake of the wildfires, with the Academy choosing to honor the Los Angeles community and its role in the film industry. As part of this shift, it was announced that the five musical pieces nominated for Best Original Song would not be performed live, and instead the songwriters would be highlighted through personal reflections and behind-the-scenes insight from the creative teams behind the music. In response, the Society of Composers & Lyricists urged the Academy to walk back its decision. A letter was sent to the Academy's CEO, president and board of governors, as well as to the producers of the telecast; the Academy declined to comment. During a virtual panel discussion for the Songwriters Hall of Fame in which all the songwriter nominees were in attendance, Diane Warren (nominated for "The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight) deemed the decision "extremely disrespectful". She added: "We've all written songs that are really integral to the movies they're in. And to me, it's unfair to both the nominees and the audience out there to not be able to hear them."
  
  In January 2025, addressing how the wildfires would affect preparation of the ceremony and his position as host, O'Brien told The Hollywood Reporter: "It's not the easiest assignment I've ever had, but I'm embracing it. And it's not about me, obviously. This is a moment for all of us to step back and say, 'Be humble.' Just be humble and say, 'This is a massive moment. This is a terrible thing that's happened in Los Angeles'... The strategy is my writers and I, and the team that I'm working with at the Oscars, who are fantastic, the producers, everyone, we've got all of our sensors out." That same month, O'Brien further expanded on his process amid the tragedies, speaking with ABC News on Good Morning America, stating: "There's a lot that's happening nationally that people are very tense about and it changes day to day. And so my job right now with my writers is to create possibilities... That's what we're doing. We're working hard to create possibilities."