Brit Oscar nominees ‘can stay in London’

BRITISH nominees will reportedly be allowed to take part in the Oscars from London, after earlier being told that appearing via Zoom was not an option.

The 93rd Academy Awards are set to take place on April 25 with an in-person event at Union Station in Los Angeles.

Some live elements of the show will be included from the ceremony’s usual home of the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

After nominees were earlier told a virtual appearance was not allowed, producers for the ceremony have said they will set up “hubs” in London and Paris to make it easier for Europe-based stars, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The Academy, the body which oversees the Oscars, is still encouraging anyone who can safely and legally travel to Los Angeles for the ceremony to do so, the outlet said.

Asked about Zoom appearances, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, one of the producers of the broadcast, reportedly told the nominees “we hope it doesn’t come to that”.

The Academy has been contacted for comment.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Olivia Colman, Daniel Kaluuya, Riz Ahmed and Carey Mulligan are among the British acting nominees.

Emerald Fennell is up for best director while singer Celeste is up for best song.

The Academy has not said where in London the hub will be.

The ceremony takes place in the early hours of April 26 in the UK.

In a letter to nominees earlier this month, the Academy said it would accept awards on behalf of any winner who could not attend the ceremony.

It said: “For those of you unable to attend because of scheduling or continued uneasiness about travelling, we want you to know there will not be an option to Zoom in for the show.

“We are going to great lengths to provide a safe and enjoyable evening for all of you in person, as well as for all the millions of film fans around the world, and we feel the virtual thing will diminish those efforts.”

Attendance to the ceremony will be restricted, it was previously announced, with a stripped-back red carpet and media presence among the pandemic-era concessions.

Awards shows have struggled to attract viewers amid the health crisis.

The Golden Globes took place in February and sank to a 13-year low in viewing figures.

Similarly the Grammys recorded its lowest-ever viewership, despite boasting a star-studded list of performers.