As Hollywood heads into the peak of Academy Awards season, live events are in limbo amid a worldwide surge of COVID-19 cases linked to the omicron variant.
The AFI Awards, the BAFTA Tea Party and the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s awards gala were among the first in-person events canceled as the industry grapples with yet another grim stretch of the ongoing pandemic. The Hollywood Critics Association and Critics Choice Awards soon followed, each deciding to postpone their events until March 13 and Feb. 28, respectively, citing the rising number of positive cases linked to omicron. The 12th annual Academy Governors Awards, which was set for Jan. 15, has also been postponed, while the Producers Guild of America has postponed their annual awards, originally scheduled for Feb. 26, until March 19.
The Sundance Film Festival, an annual staple in Park City, Utah, shifted to online only, with the variant surge expected to peak during the festival’s run from Jan. 20 through Jan. 30. The Slamdance Film Festival also decided to forgo the in-person portion of its hybrid event in Park City and continue with the virtual portion of the program only, from Jan. 27 to Feb. 6. The new start date, a week later than planned, gives the festival time to shift to the online format.
The Grammy Awards, originally slated for Jan. 31 in Los Angeles, have been postponed until April 3 in Las Vegas. And a handful of January Hollywood premieres — including for the latest movie in the Scream franchise, Hulu’s How I Met Your Father series and the HBO Max Peacemaker series — have canceled in-person red carpet events.
Live theatrical productions, including those in London’s West End, New York City’s Broadway district and throughout L.A., have been hit particularly hard with shows going dark. Several Broadway productions canceled performances during Christmas week, with Jagged Little Pill and off-Broadway’s Is There Still Sex in the City? closing their curtains for good and some shows announcing an extended hiatus in order to remain open. Eddie Redmayne’s Cabaret revival in London took a temporary break, with performances having resumed in late December.
Below is a list of events that have been impacted by COVID-19. The list will be updated as the situation evolves.
BroadwayCon
Scheduled to run: February 18-20, 2022
Status: Postponed to July 8-10, 2022
Grammy Awards Ceremony
Scheduled date: Jan. 31
Status: Rescheduled for April 3 in Las Vegas
Oscar Wilde Awards
Scheduled Date: March 24
Status: Because of COVID concerns, the event will move from Bad Robot in Santa Monica to the Ebell theater in Mid-Wilshire.
Producer’s Guild Awards
Scheduled Date: Feb. 26
Status: Postponed to March 19
Casting Society of America Artios Awards
Scheduled date: March 17
Status: Switched from an in-person event in L.A. to a virtual show.
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Ceremony
Scheduled date: Jan. 10
Status: Postponed to March 16.
Critics Choice Awards
Scheduled date: Jan. 9
Status: Rescheduled for March 13
Annie Awards
Scheduled date: Feb. 26
Status: Moved to a virtual show taking place on March 12
ACE Eddie Awards
Scheduled date: March 5
Status: Switched to 50 percent capacity in-person event
HCA Film Awards Ceremony
Scheduled date: Jan. 8
Status: Postponed for Feb. 28
IDA Documentary Awards
Scheduled date: Feb. 5
Status: Shifted from in-person to virtual event on March 4, voting period to determine winners extended as well
Rotterdam Film Festival
Scheduled date: Jan. 26
Status: Shifting from in-person to online
Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards
Scheduled date: Feb. 1
Status: Postponed for March 8
Sundance Film Festival
Scheduled dates: Jan. 20-30
Status: Switched from in-person to online only
Slamdance Film Festival
Scheduled date: Jan. 20
Status: In-person portion canceled; online to begin Jan. 27 and run to Feb. 6
NATPE Miami
Scheduled dates: Jan. 18-20
Status: Canceled
Governors Awards Ceremony
Scheduled date: Jan. 15
Status: Postponed, plans TBD
Cinema Eye Honors
Scheduled date: Jan. 13
Status: Postponed, plans TBD
Under the Radar Festival at New York City’s The Public Theater
Scheduled to run: Jan. 12 through Jan. 30
Status: Canceled (Dec. 31)
Skeleton Crew
Scheduled to run: Jan. 12 with no plans to close
Status: Postponed, plans TBD
Hulu’s How I Met Your Father L.A. Premiere
Scheduled date: Jan. 12
Status: Canceled
Paramount Pictures’ Scream L.A. Premiere
Scheduled: Jan. 11
Status: Canceled
National Board of Review Gala in New York City
Scheduled date: Jan. 11
Status: Postponed, plans TBD
BAFTA Tea Party
Scheduled date: Jan. 8
Status: Canceled
Peacemaker premiere in L.A.
Scheduled date: Jan. 8
Status: Canceled
AFI Awards
Scheduled date: Jan. 7
Status: Postponed for March 11
Palm Springs International Film Festival and Awards Gala
Scheduled date: Jan. 7 through Jan. 17; Jan. 6
Status: Canceled
Dune Home Entertainment Release Party in L.A.
Scheduled date: Jan. 4
Status: Canceled
The Book of Boba Fett Special Screening at L.A.’s El Capitan Theatre
Scheduled date: Jan. 4
Status: Canceled
Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022
Scheduled date: Dec. 31
Status: Canceled
Is There Still Sex in the City?
Scheduled to run: Dec. 7, 2021 through Feb. 6, 2022
Status: Closed early (Dec. 22)
Mrs. Doubtfire
Scheduled to run: Dec. 5, 2021 with no plans to close
Status: Postponed, plans to reopen March 15
A Christmas Carol at L.A.’s Ahmanson Theatre
Scheduled to run: Dec. 1, 2021 through Jan. 1, 2022
Status: Closed early (Dec. 15)
Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
Scheduled to run: Nov. 2, 2021 through Jan. 2, 2022
Status: Closed early (Dec. 16)
Jagged Little Pill
Scheduled to run: Oct. 21, 2021 with no plans to close
Status: Closed early (Dec. 17)
Ain’t Too Proud
Scheduled to run: Oct. 16, 2021 with no plans to close
Status: Closed early (Jan. 16)
Thoughts of a Colored Man
Scheduled to run: Oct. 13, 2021 through March 13, 2022
Status: Closed early (Dec. 22)
Waitress
Scheduled to run: Sept. 2, 2021 through Jan. 9, 2022
Status: Closed early (Dec. 20)
This story was first published at 8:32 p.m. on Dec. 20, 2021.
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