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Governors Awards postponed amid omicron spike

FILE - Tom Hanks speaks at the Governors Awards on Oct. 27, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to postpone the Governors Awards, which were set to be held in Los Angeles on Jan 15. New plans for the untelevised but always star-studded event which hands out honorary Oscars will come at a later date, an academy spokesperson said Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021. (Chris Pizzello)
By Lindsey Bahr Associated Press

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to postpone the Governors Awards, which bestow honorary Oscars, due to concerns over the omicron variant.

New plans will come at a later date, an academy spokesperson said Wednesday. The untelevised but always star-studded event was set to be held Jan. 15 in Los Angeles.

“Given the uncertainties around the variants, and the impact this could have on our community, we feel this is the best and safest decision for our honorees and guests,” the statement said.

Elaine May, Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Ullmann were announced earlier this year as the event’s honorees. Danny Glover was also selected as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient. The evening event is often packed with A-listers and Oscar hopefuls.

The academy canceled last year’s Governors Awards because of the pandemic and presented two humanitarian awards during the Oscar broadcast.

The Governors Awards isn’t the only high-profile Hollywood event to change plans in recent days. The Palm Springs International Film Festival also decided to cancel its starry awards gala, which was supposed to take place on Jan. 6 and included honorees like Kristen Stewart, Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman and Penélope Cruz.