‘I’m not voting’: Stephen King demands Oscars cancellation after California fires

‘No glitz with Los Angeles on fire’ wrote the 77-year-old writer

Stephen King has demanded that the Oscars be cancelled this year, on account of the devastation caused by wildfires in Los Angeles.

Several celebrities have lost their homes, including socialite Paris Hilton,When Harry Met Sally actor Billy Crystal and The Hills stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. At least 27 people have died, including former child star Rory Sykes, with the official death toll expected to rise.

An announcement for the Oscars nominations was delayed for a second time and rearranged to take place virtually on 23 January instead. The Academy also cancelled its annual nominees luncheon, and said it would honour frontline workers and support relief efforts.

However, The Shining author believes the event should be scrapped entirely, and will not be voting as part of the committee.

“Not voting in the Oscars this year. IMHO they should cancel them,” King wrote on Bluesky. “No glitz with Los Angeles on fire.”

Hacks star Jean Smart, who recently won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series earlier this month, has also demanded that the event be cancelled.

“With ALL due respect during Hollywood’s season of celebration, I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have gathered to victims of the fires and the firefighters,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.

Author beliefs the event should be scrapped in light of the California wildfires (Getty Images)

But Desperately Seeking Susan star Rosanna Arquette believes the ceremony should still continue.

“This year, it’s not just about celebrating art,” she said. “It’s about using art to rebuild, inspire and help those who need it most. I woke up the other night thinking, ‘What if we did a Jerry Lewis-style telethon but integrated it with the Oscars?’ Imagine Billy Crystal opening the show. He lost his home, but he’s the perfect person to unite the room, to remind us of what we can achieve together.”

More than a dozen Hollywood premieres and awards ceremonies have been cancelled including premieres for Amazon MGM Studios’ Unstoppable, which stars Jennifer Lopez; Universal’s film Wolf Man starring Julia Garner; and an awards season event for the Golden Globe-winning film Emilia Pérez.

“We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community,” vowed Bill Kramer, academy chief executive, and Janet Yang, academy president.