2022 Critics Choice Awards Postponed amid Spike in COVID-19 Cases Due to Omicron Variant
The Critics' Choice Awards
The in-person ceremony for the 2022 Critics Choice Awards has been postponed.
On Wednesday, the Critics Choice Association announced the news that the televised awards show, which was set to take place in Los Angeles, will no longer take place on Jan. 9.
"After thoughtful consideration and candid conversations with our partners at The CW and TBS, we have collectively come to the conclusion that the prudent and responsible decision at this point is to postpone the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards, originally slated for January 9, 2022," the statement read.
"We are in regular communication with LA County Public Health officials, and we are currently working diligently to find a new date during the upcoming awards season in which to host our annual gala in-person with everyone's safety and health remaining our top priority. We will be sharing additional details with our friends and colleagues throughout the entertainment industry as soon as we can," the statement continued.
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The winners were scheduled to be announced during the Jan. 9 show, which was to be hosted by Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer.
Belfast and West Side Story lead the nominations with 11 each while Dune and The Power of the Dog followed up with 10 each. For television, Succession, Mare of Easttown and Evil emerged as leading nominees.
The decision to postpone the show came one day after the association said it planned to continue with an in-person ceremony despite the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.
The CDC recently expanded its vaccine booster recommendations for those in the U.S. following the arrival of the Omicron variant in North America.
The spread of the variant "further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19," the CDC said. "Early data from South Africa suggest increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant, and scientists in the United States and around the world are urgently examining vaccine effectiveness related to this variant."
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