NAACP Image Awards cancels Friday’s red carpet due to flash floods and extreme weather in Los Angeles

Heavy rain and flash flooding in Los Angeles caused the cancellation of the red carpet for the non-televised NAACP Image Awards dinner on Friday night. The dinner itself was still held as planned at the L.A. Live Event Deck, but the red carpet was closed before presenters and nominees arrived for the show. Guests were escorted to the event tent by staff carrying umbrellas, but they still had to trek through the rain-drenched pink carpet to get there. The extreme weather in Southern California has also brought heavy snow and a rare blizzard warning in some areas, causing concern among award show nominees, publicists, glam squads, and journalists about how the weather will affect a weekend packed with high-profile events and ceremonies.

Despite the cancellation of the red carpet, other high-profile events and ceremonies scheduled for the weekend, including the Producers Guild Awards, the Annie Awards, and the NAACP Image Awards telecast, are still proceeding as planned, although some have been canceled due to the weather. Netflix canceled its celebration for Annie Award nominees, while W Magazine’s party for its best performances issue at Chateau Marmont’s penthouse and a party for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” are still ongoing. The weather has caused concern among those attending the events, with safety being a top priority.

The winter storm that has brought rain, hail, and snow to Los Angeles has made this weekend’s events a challenge. The NAACP Image Awards red carpet cancellation was the first to be reported by Variety, and it remains to be seen if other events will be affected by the weather. The extreme weather is expected to continue through the weekend, with flash flood warnings in effect in Los Angeles County until 10 p.m. on Friday.