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The wait in Hollywood is almost over: The 98th Academy Awards premiere at 7 p.m. Eastern\/4 p.m. Pacific on Sunday.\u2026<\/p>\n
The wait in Hollywood is almost over: The 98th Academy Awards<\/a> premiere at 7 p.m. Eastern\/4 p.m. Pacific on Sunday.<\/p>\n Comedian Conan O\u2019Brien is back<\/a> for a second year to host the ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. It\u2019s an Oscars race that seemed like a runaway for \u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d but may be a close call<\/a> after all, thanks to some late-season wins for \u201cSinners.\u201d Other films with several nominations<\/a> include \u201cSentimental Value,\u201d \u201cMarty Supreme,\u201d \u201cFrankenstein\u201d and \u201cHamnet.\u201d<\/p>\n A picture-perfect sunny afternoon greeted early arrivals<\/a> at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday.<\/p>\n The Latest at the Academy Awards:<\/p>\n The Oscars red carpet sports an naturalistic, Japan-inspired motif this year, with Japanese maple trees lining the path to the Dolby Theatre and wood slat panels adding texture to some of the walls. <\/p>\n The carpet itself is \u201cred rock,\u201d according to Academy representatives, with shades of earthy brown making it darker than the traditional bright red.<\/p>\n If everyone is looking a little shinier today, it\u2019s because it is already quite toasty on the red carpet, which is only going to get more crowded. <\/p>\n Production people say that after two days of blazing heat during rehearsals, they were promised it would be freezing.<\/p>\n Ryan Coogler<\/a> understands what tonight could mean for Oscar history. He\u2019s just not dwelling on it.<\/p>\n Instead, on Thursday, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker was looking forward to spending one more night with his \u201cSinners\u201d<\/a> collaborators who helped bring the film to life.<\/p>\n Coogler could become the first Black filmmaker to win best director in the Academy Awards\u2019<\/a> nearly century-long history. While speaking before the eighth annual Macro Pre-Oscars party in Los Angeles, he said he\u2019s trying to stay present as the ceremony approaches.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just trying to enjoy the days as they come, stay present in the moment,\u201d Coogler told The Associated Press. \u201cWhen Sunday comes, man, I\u2019m pull up and enjoy celebrating all the movies that\u2019s being celebrated here, including our own.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25b6 Read more from the interview with the \u201cSinners\u201d director<\/a><\/p>\n The Iranian dissident filmmaker<\/a>, whose film \u201cIt Was Just an Accident\u201d<\/a> was inspired by his time as a political prisoner, is facing a yearlong prison sentence<\/a> and two-year travel ban for the film.<\/p>\n Yet Jafar Panahi still plans to return home.<\/p>\n \u201cI know where I live and under what government,\u201d he told AP<\/a> through a translator before the war broke out, something he\u2019s reiterated to news outlets since. \u201cI also know that such works of art come with a price that I have to pay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI also have the experience of living in prison with people who are completely anonymous and unknown, and when they can go through massive pain and no one will hear about it. But as soon as something is wrong with me, the entire world knows.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cICE OUT\u201d and \u201cBE GOOD\u201d pins have become one of this awards season\u2019s most visible accessories.<\/p>\n Mark Ruffalo, Jean Smart and Ariana Grande were among the Hollywood stars donning the protest apparel at January\u2019s Golden Globes. But organizers actually took inspiration from AIDS activists of the 1980s and 90s.<\/p>\n Maremoto Executive Director Jess Morales Rocketto says they followed the example of groups like ACT UP, whose red ribbons appeared at the televised 1991 Tony Awards as a sign of solidarity.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is supposed to intervene in a place that would otherwise be 100% about the commerce of brand deals and movie promotions,\u201d she said of the white buttons protesting the Trump administration\u2019s immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Performances are often the most memorable parts of the Academy Awards. If you disagree it is probably because you skipped the 2024 Oscars when Ryan Gosling\u2019s performance of \u201cI\u2019m Just Ken\u201d<\/a> stole the show. This year, viewers can expect some similarly entertaining moments. EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, the voices behind the fictional girl group HUNTR\/X, will perform the massive \u201cGolden\u201d from the animated blockbuster \u201cKPop Demon Hunters.\u201d According to the Academy, the performance will feature \u201ca fusion of traditional Korean instrumentalists and dance\u201d as well.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not all: Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq will bring their \u201cSinners\u201d hit \u201cI Lied To You\u201d to the Oscars stage \u2014 and will be joined by Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey and Alice Smith for the bluesy number.<\/p>\n Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale are also scheduled to appear.<\/p>\n Best actor:<\/p>\n Best supporting actor:<\/p>\n Best actress:<\/p>\n Best supporting actress:<\/p>\n \u201cSinners\u201d is already in uncharted Oscar waters.<\/p>\n It has 16 Oscar nominations, two more than any other film in history. \u201cTitanic,\u201d \u201cLa La Land\u201d and \u201cAll About Eve\u201d all had 14.<\/p>\n \u201cTitanic\u201d won 11 Oscars, while \u201cLa La Land\u201d and \u201cAll about Eve\u201d each won six.<\/p>\n So, it\u2019s reasonable to expect a somewhat sizable haul for \u201cSinners.\u201d Then again, \u201cThe Turning Point\u201d and \u201cThe Color Purple\u201d probably felt the same way in their Oscar years. They both went 0-for-11 on Oscar night.<\/p>\n \u201cSinners\u201d grabbed 16 of a possible 17 Oscar nominations this year. The one it didn\u2019t get: best actress.<\/p>\n The record for Oscar wins is 11: \u201cBen-Hur\u201d (out of 12 nominations), \u201cTitanic\u201d (out of 14 nominations) and \u201cThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King\u201d (which went a perfect 11-0, sweeping wins in every category that it was up for).<\/p>\n Lynette Howell Taylor<\/a> has seen the Oscars<\/a> from a few different vantage points: As a nominee, in 2019 for \u201cA Star is Born,\u201d as a producer of the broadcast in 2020, as a member of the film academy\u2019s board of governors and, for the last three years, as awards chair. It\u2019s made her first year as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences feel like a natural transition. And one thing she is certain of is that every Oscars is unique.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery year is different,\u201d Taylor said in a recent interview alongside film Academy CEO Bill Kramer<\/a>. \u201cEvery season is different. Every set of movies is different. And so, the show is always different every year.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a tricky thing to both honor the people in the room while also making an entertaining show for a home audience. But behind the scenes, from returning host Conan O\u2019Brien<\/a> to the producers and Emmy-winning production design team, is a group of people who know how to dazzle a global audience.<\/p>\n \u25b6 Read more from the interview<\/a><\/p>\nA Japan-inspired motif on the carpet<\/h2>\n
The red carpet is heating up (literally)<\/h2>\n
Ryan Coogler isn\u2019t dwelling on potential history<\/h2>\n
Despite looming prison sentence, nominee Jafar Panahi plans to return to Iran<\/h2>\n
How AIDS activists inspired immigration organizers\u2019 red carpet symbolism<\/h2>\n
Who is performing?<\/h2>\n
These 11 actors earned their first nominations<\/h2>\n
\u2018Sinners\u2019 already has an Oscar record for nominations. But what does that mean?<\/h2>\n
How academy leaders are approaching the Oscars<\/h2>\n
Who\u2019s hosting the Oscars?<\/h2>\n