UTA Scraps Pre-Oscar Party, donates to LA Wildfire Relief Charities

United Talent Agency has scrapped its annual pre-Oscar party and will instead make donations to numerous fire relief causes.

The devastating wildfires that destroyed swaths of Southern California has left behind a cloud, and created challenges for organizers of everything from the Sundance Film Festival to the upcoming awards bashes. The mood has colored everything in Hollywood. UTA this year has a lot to crow about — 20 of its clients are nominated for Oscars, including Anora‘s Mikey Madison, Wicked‘s Cynthia Erivo, Karla Sofia Gascon from Emilia Perez, A Complete Unknown‘s Timothee Chalamet, Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton, Conclave‘s Isabella Rossellini, and The Substance writer/director Coralie Fargeat. Per a UTA internal memo just sent by David Kramer, the agency will honor those honorees with donations, though he did not disclose the amount. Here is his memo. It is unclear if other companies in the agency/management or studio space are thinking along the same lines, but we will report their plans when they declare them. Here is Kramer’s memo.

Team-

We are incredibly proud of our 20 clients nominated for an Academy Award whose films have shaped this year’s cinematic landscape.

After much consideration, we have decided in lieu of hosting an Oscar party this year, we will instead be donating to various organizations supporting industry peers impacted by January’s wildfires.

We will make donations to the below funds in honor of our many nominees:

· Motion Picture Television Fund (MPTF) is providing financial assistance and social services to working and retired members of the entertainment community.

· SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund is providing disaster relief assistance to SAG-AFTRA members whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

· Entertainment Community Fund (Formerly the Actors Fund) is accepting applications for essential needs and financial relief (housing, utilities, healthcare, etc.) for entertainment performers and professionals.

Thanks to all of the incredible agents and executives who worked so tirelessly to have such a powerful UTA showing this year. We have a lot to be proud of.