After devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles, the 97th Academy Awards are going forward.
Like the Grammys and other awards shows this year, the ceremony will be transformed by the fires and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has pledged to help its members and the broader film community recover.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s show:
When are the Oscars?
The Academy Awards will be held March 2, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. The show, to be broadcast live by ABC, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific.
Who's hosting the Oscars?
Conan O’Brien is hosting the Academy Awards for the first time. O’Brien, the late-night host turned podcaster and occasional movie star, said upon the announcement: “America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”
How have the wildfires altered the show?
The wildfires that consumed large parts of Los Angeles in early January led some to call for the cancellation of the Academy Awards. The academy twice postponed the announcement of nominations but never pushed the March 2 date of the ceremony. Academy leaders have argued the show must go ahead, for its economic impact on Los Angeles and as a symbol of resilience.
Organizers have vowed this year’s awards will “celebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires.”
Still, the fires have curtailed much of the usual frothiness of Hollywood's awards season. The film academy canceled its annual nominees’ luncheon.
For many involved in the Oscars, the fires have been felt acutely. O'Brien's Pacific Palisades home survived but his family has been unable to go back to it. O'Brien's assistant and podcast co-host Sona Movsesian lost her home.
“I know so many people who lost their homes and I’m just, was ridiculously lucky,” O’Brien told The Associated Press. “So, we want to make sure that that show reflects what’s happening and that we put a light on the right people in the right way.”
Who's presenting at the Oscars?
More stars were added to the presenter lineup last week, including Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, Joe Alwyn, Goldie Hawn, Ben Stiller, Ana de Armas, Sterling K. Brown, Willem Dafoe, Lily-Rose Depp and Connie Nielsen. They'll join the likes of Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb and Bowen Yang, as well as last year's acting winners — Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph — on the Oscar stage.
Though the academy initially said it would bring back the “fab five” style of presenting the acting awards, with five previous winners per category, organizers have reportedly abandoned those plans for this year’s ceremony. Nick Offerman will also be participating as the Oscars announcer.
Will there be any performances?
The academy has announced that, unlike previous years, the original song nominees will not be performed this time. That doesn't mean there won't be music, though.
Doja Cat, LISA of Blackpink, Queen Latifah and RAYE will be part of “showstopping performances celebrating the filmmaking community and some of its legends,” producers announced Monday, as will Wicked's Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. (The songs from Wicked weren't eligible for best song since, hailing from the Broadway musical, they aren't original to the movie.) The Los Angeles Master Chorale will also appear.
What's nominated for best picture?
The 10 nominees for best picture are: Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part 2, Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked.
How to watch Oscar-nominated films?
Some of the nominees are still in theaters, but many of this year’s Oscar nominees are streaming on various platforms.
Who are the favorites?
More than most years, that’s a tricky question, but a front-runner had emerged after Anora took the top awards at the Producers Guild, Directors Guild and Independent Spirit Awards. The best picture race had been seen as unusually wide open, with Anora, Conclave, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown and Emilia Perez all having legitimate hopes of winning — the hopes of Conclave further boosted by its Screen Actors Guild ensemble win.
In the acting categories, Demi Moore (The Substance) is favored for best actress, although Mikey Madison's BAFTA and Independent Spirit wins for Anora makes it more of a race. Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) is most likely in best actor — though SAG winner Timothee Chalamet could threaten — while Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez) is the supporting actress front-runner and Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) is the favorite for best supporting actor. None of those awards, however, is considered a definite lock.
What's the deal with ‘Emilia Perez’?
Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, a narco-musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, comes in with a leading 13 nominations. The film, at one point, seemed like Netflix’s best chance yet to land the streamer its first best picture win. Its star, Karla Sofia Gascon, made history by becoming the first openly trans actor nominated for an Oscar.
But no nominee has had a rockier post-nominations Oscar campaign. After old offensive tweets by Gascon were uncovered, the actress issued an apology. The fallout, though, has badly damaged a movie that was already a divisive contender, and led Netflix to radically refocus its flagging campaign.
