Ganis confirms Oscars will take place

Academy president Sid Ganis has confirmed that this year's Oscars will definitely take place on February 24.

Ganis said that despite the current Writers Guild of America strike, the annual event would take place at the Kodak Theatre later this month.

Speaking at the Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom, he said: "There's no doubt about it. We're going to do it.

"Of course, we really, really hope that the negotiations between the writers and the producers - which we now hear are going very, very well - will have reached a conclusion that everyone is pleased with.

"Mainly so that the industry and the workers of the industry are functioning again but also because it will allow our amazing producer Gil Cates to put on the sort of show we all want to see.

"But regardless of those circumstances, which are beyond our control, we will be presenting awards as scheduled on the 24th.

"We're going to hand out Oscars not because of some showbiz notion that the show must go on - it's not the show per se that matters.

"The Oscar exists to shine the brightest possible light on you and your work, and it would be such a terrible shame, through no fault of yours and no fault of ours, if the current conditions prevented us from shining that brightest possible light."

In January the Golden Globe awards replaced their traditional ceremony with a press conference because of the strike.