The 2022 Academy Awards are just over a month away and while the night is sure to be unforgettable with surprises and snubs, one thing will not be in the cards: covid-19 vaccinations.
Hollywood’s biggest night won’t require COVID-19 vaccinations proof for anyone attending the event.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is only asking for attendees to show a negative PCR test or a negative rapid antigen test on the day of the ceremony.
Nominees, presenters and stars will gather on March 27 at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater to celebrate the best and brightest in film.
This year’s SAG Awards and Critics Choice Awards, on the other hand, will both require vaccinations.
A rep for the SAG Awards (to be held on Feb. 27), listed their COVID-19 protocols for the ceremony on their website along with the statement, “All ticketed attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination plus booster shot (if eligible), proof of negative lab-based COVID-19 PCR test within 48 hours of event, and negative antigen (rapid) test the day of the event.”
The Critics Choice Awards are set to take place on March 13. COO of the Critics Choice Association, Joey Berlin, revealed to the publication their vaccination requirements.
“We will be 100 percent vaccinated and require a negative PCR test within 48 hours of the event. I can’t invite people to a show where they’re not going to feel safe,” Berlin noted.
The Academy mandates that their own employees be vaccinated. They are also complying with the Los Angeles County Health Department, who ordered that people attending both indoor and outdoor “mega-events” must be either vaccinated or show a negative test result.
The organization has yet to publicly release its coronavirus policy for the Oscars event. A source told the outlet that the show’s organizers can possibly expect backlash from others in the entertainment community. The insider added that it’s “shocking” how the Oscars are willing to oblige anti-vaxxers.
This stance is vastly different from last year’s ceremony, where face coverings were not mandated during the live ceremony. However, once the cameras were off the celebs, masks were required to be worn. All 170 guests were asked to put on a mask when the cameras weren’t rolling.
The nominations for the 2022 telecast was announced on Feb. 8 and sees many fan-favorites up for the prestigious golden statuettes.
Kristen Stewart won a nom for her role as Princess Diana in “Spencer,” and will see herself competing against Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”) and Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”).
“The Power of the Dog” and “Dune” scored 12 and 10 nominations, respectively while actors such as Andrew Garfield, Jesse Plemons and Javier Bardem earned nods.
