The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) has cancelled its March 8 awards ceremony in Los Angeles due to a labor dispute, with its own staffers still on strike demanding higher pay and AI protections. The guild's board of directors, including President Michele Mulroney, stated that they would not ask nominees or guests to cross a picket line. The Los Angeles ceremony was set to be hosted by comedian Atsuko Okatsuka and received a prestigious Laurel Award from Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron. The union has accused management of delaying contract talks and has accused them of surveilling workers for union activity, firing union supporters and engaging in "bad faith surface bargaining". An alternative celebration for West Coast nominees will be scheduled later. The cancellation lands just weeks before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences stages the Oscars.