The Oscars have been dealt a fresh blow after Vanity Fair called off its famous Oscar night party in support of the Hollywood writers’ strike.

The glossy magazine’s annual bash has long been the awards season’s hottest ticket, but a statement released on VanityFair.com yesterday ended plans for the February 24 event.

"After much consideration, and in support of the writers and everyone else affected by this strike, we have decided that this is not the appropriate year to hold our annual Oscar party.

"We want to congratulate all of this year's nominees and we look forward to hosting our 15th Oscar party next year."

The annual post-Oscars party attracts almost as many stars as the Academy Awards Ceremony itself. A strictly A-list event, last year’s guest attendees included John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, and Best Actor winner Forest Whitaker.

The party was cancelled despite the writers' guild prediction that a deal with the studios could be agreed in the next week.

Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter said while he was aware the strike could be coming to an end, he decided to go ahead with the cancellation after talking with West Coast friends and colleagues.

Magazine spokeswoman Beth Kseniak said Carter believed that even if the three-month strike was resolved before the Academy Awards, its impact on Hollywood was likely to linger.

"In as much as Vanity Fair is a collection of writers, photographers and artists, we do feel ourselves in aligned solidarity with the writers, directors and actors in the film business," Carter said in a statement.

“A magazine like Vanity Fair is a group of writers and artists, and we are in solidarity with the writers and artists out there. Whether the strike is over or not, there are a lot of bruised feelings. I don’t think it’s appropriate for a big magazine from the East to come in and pretend nothing happened.”

“There will be something sort of liberating about ordering Chinese food and watching the Oscars in bed,” he added.

Traditionally held at Morton's restaurant in West Hollywood, this year the party was to move to Craft, a new restaurant in Century City.

While the Academy Awards organisers have vowed the ceremony will go ahead, many actors will refuse to cross the picket line to attend if the strike is continuing.

Last month the Golden Globes ceremony was cancelled after big-name stars, including George Clooney, made clear they would not show up.

Since writers walked off the job in November, when the last union-negotiated contract expired, the LA economy has suffered more than $1 billion of damage.

The 10,500 members of the Writers Guild of America are demanding proper pay for work distributed online.

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