The Critics Choice Awards have been postponed amid COVID-19 concerns.
The in-person awards ceremony was due to be staged at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles on January 9, but due to the rising number of COVID cases and the threat posed by the Omicron variant, organisers have decided to postpone the event.
The Critics Choice Association said in a statement: "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.
"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."
News of the postponement arrived shortly after the Critics Choice Association said that it was planning to proceed with the in-person ceremony in January.
In a statement on Monday (20.12.21), the organisations said: "The Critics Choice Association is working with LA County Public Health Officials and a premiere COVID Compliance service, and at this time, we are currently still planning to host an in-person 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards, following the strictest and safest protocols, including mandatory proof of vaccination, negative PCR tests 48 hours in advance, proper social distancing and masking requirements."
However, the organisation noted at the time that the situation remained open to potential change.
The statement continued: "We will continue to carefully monitor the situation as events progress."
Sir Kenneth Branagh’s 'Belfast' features heavily among this year's list of nominees, with 11 nods in total, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.
