Organisers of the Oscars have ruled that people will not be allowed to attend the event via Zoom. Instead the Oscars ceremony adds a London venue for nominees based in the UK unable to travel to LA.
Out of this year’s 20 acting nominees, eight of them are British. These include Carey Muligan, Sacha Baron Cohen and Riz Ahmed.
When the nominations were announced, those in the running for an award were requested to attend in person. The event is due to take place in Los Angeles on 25 April.
Although the main location is LA, organisers have decided to provide a venue in London due to concerns over travelling.
Other international nominees will also be able to appear from other locations around the world via a satellite link. Producers of the show hope they don’t have to resort to using Zoom. However, they may need to rethink if it is not possible for people to get to the broadcast locations.
The Show Must Go On
Union Station, LA’s main railway hub, will become a venue for the 93rd Academy Awards. Most of the guests will be attending here. The show will also partly take place at the ceremony’s usual home, the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Other British stars hoping for a win on the acting awards are Olivia Colman, Daniel Kaluuya, Gary Oldman, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and Vanessa Kirby.
Other nominees from the UK include writer and director Emerald Fennell; singer Celeste, who is up for best song; and A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon by Aardman Animations, which is in the running for best animated film.
No details have been released yet on where the new location in London is. Due to time differences, the ceremony there will betaking place in the early hours of 26 April.
International nominees include actress Youn Yuh-Jung from South Korea, Danish director Thomas Vinterberg and Bulgarian Maria Bakalova who starred in the Borat film.
A Letter to the Nominees
Nominees received a letter earlier this month from show producers Steven Soderbergh, Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins. It stated that no alternative arrangements would be made for anyone not able to be there in person. This was if the reason related to scheduling or concerns about travel during the pandemic.
The letter said they were going to great lengths to provide a safe and enjoyable evening for everyone. They also wanted to ensure a great event for the millions of film fans watching around the world. It was felt that those efforts would be diminished by virtual activities
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has previously made a promise to offer an “intimate” ceremony undertaken with strict Covid-19 precautions. This is the body which oversees the Oscars.
Producers have said there would be on site safety teams at the event. There would also be the capability for testing.
Are Awards Ceremonies Still Relevant?
This year’s ceremony could have done without the added logistical headaches. There are already questions at this time on the appeal of award ceremonies in modern day culture. TV viewing figures fell to an all time low for the screening of last year’s Oscars ceremony.
The pandemic has also put things into perspective for some and questioned their relevance. In response to speculation over this year’s ceremony, best supporting actor nominee LaKeith Stanfield reportedly posted on Instagram: “No one cares lmao. Real stuff is happening. Who cares about awards.” The post has since been deleted.
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