The American writer Stephen King, appreciated in international fiction for his horror and science fiction novels, announced that he will not vote for the Oscars this year because of the fires in Los Angeles.
Stephen King calls for the cancellation of the Oscar Awards Photo: AFP
Several celebrities are calling for the cancellation of this year’s Academy Awards ceremony amid the fires that have ravaged Los Angeles. Stephen King announced, on his Bluesky account, that the ceremony should be canceled due to the destruction in the city.
“I’m not voting at the Oscars this year. In my humble opinion, they should cancel them,” said Stephen King, adding that they are: “No shine with Los Angeles on fire“.
The writer later returned with a new post: “I hear what you guys say about the Oscars and how it’s a celebration of life and the show must go on blah blah blah and so on. It all makes some sense, but to me it still feels like Nero gloating while Rome burns. Or, in this case, wearing fancy clothes while LA burns”.
For her part, Jean Smart, the recent winner of a Golden Globe for “Outstanding Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series“, requested the cancellation of the event.
“With all due respect, I hope that whichever network owns the televising rights to the awards show will seriously consider not airing it and donate the proceeds to the fire victims and firefighters,” the actress wrote in a post made on her Instagram account.
Following the fires in LA, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided to extend the voting period for the Oscars and postpone the announcement of nominations until Thursday, January 22.
Initially, the nominations were to be announced on January 17. The Academy also canceled its annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon, originally scheduled for Monday, February 10. The organization said it plans to reallocate $250,000 from the nominees’ luncheon to wildfire relief efforts.
The ceremony remains set for Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
The Oscars are one of the oldest and most prestigious award ceremonies in the world, with a tradition of nearly a century.
