NAACP Image Awards Cancels Friday Night Red Carpet Due to L.A. Flooding
The red carpet for the NAACP Image Award’s annual non-televised awards dinner was canceled on Friday night, due to flooding.
The red carpet and black-tie dinner salutes a vast majority of the NAACP’s winners in categories that will not be televised during the live broadcast, hosted by Queen Latifah on Saturday night.
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The dinner, which is taking place on the rooftop venue L.A. Live Event Deck, is still going on as planned.
“The red carpet has been closed due to the weather,” a rep for the event told Variety.
Coordinators canceled the carpet before presenters and nominees arrived for the 6 p.m. showtime, saving their honorees from being soaked all evening. Guests were escorted into the event tent by staffers carrying umbrellas, but attendees did trek through the rain-drenched pink carpet to get there.
The winter storm that has rained, hailed and snowed on Los Angeles over the last few days has led award show nominees, publicists, glam squads and journalists to question how the weather will affect a weekend that is packed full of high-profile events and ceremonies, including the Producers Guild Awards, the Annie Awards and the NAACP Image Awards telecast all planned for Saturday, followed by the SAG Awards on Sunday.
Among the cancellations so far: Netflix nixed a celebration for the streamer’s Annie Award nominees that was planned for Friday night at Neuehouse in Hollywood. Organizers shared the news in an email sent to attendees two hours ahead of the event’s planned start time.
“Given the current weather conditions and flash flood warnings/guidance from the National Weather Service, we have made the difficult decision to cancel tonight’s event at Neuehouse Hollywood out of an abundance of caution,” Netflix wrote. “While we wish we could gather together tonight to celebrate our Annie Award Nominees, our first priority is the safety of our guests.”
Meanwhile, W Magazine’s Friday night party for its best performances issue at Chateau Marmont’s penthouse in West Hollywood is still moving forward. A party for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is also currently happening at Heart in West Hollywood.
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