The show must—and will—go on. The Academy promised today, via The Hollywood Reporter, that they were still very much planning to put a bow on this unpredictable award season, despite rumors that the Oscars may be canceled altogether amidst the ongoing wildfire crisis in Los Angeles.

The Academy has confirmed that the Oscars will go on as planned for March 2nd. “After consultation with ABC, our board, and other key stakeholders in the Los Angeles and film communities, we have made the carefully considered decision to proceed with the 97th Oscars ceremony as planned on March 2nd,

The Oscars are not canceled and there are no plans to move the March 2 event despite the devastation of the California wildfires, according to senior members of the Academy, who shut down a viral tabloid story about the show’s supposed cancelation from The Sun.

As the Best Director Oscar race tightens, many question whether or not the Academy can keep up its streak of nominating at least one woman and/or person of color.

Ahead of next week's announcement, BBC Culture's film critics forecast the likely contenders – from a musical about a trans crime boss to an architectural epic with Adrien Brody.

The Oscars 2025 nominations have been postponed again. Find out when they’ll be announced and who are likely nominees this year below.