Arguably the most prestigious date on the Hollywood awards season calendar, the 96th Academy Awards—also known to the world as the Oscars—is upon us once again.
While the prestigious gathering celebrates the best of film in any given year, it has also become a favorite for those wishing to bask in the glamour of the star-studded guest list. There are ensembles to love and loathe, and red carpet moments at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre that have often kept fans talking for months to follow.
Once the show gets going on Sunday, the telecast becomes all the more entertaining. From tightly rehearsed bits, to spontaneous moments, to the deeply emotional In Memoriam segment, the Oscars brings laughs, tears and everything in between.
The telecast's executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor shared a taste of what can be expected during a pre-Oscars press conference attended by Newsweek on Wednesday.
"Everybody is working to make this feel joyous, and I think when you walk in that room, you will definitely feel that," Kapoor said. "We've put a lot of care and thought into all the packages, into all the award categories.
"So we want everybody in that room to feel like they are being celebrated, and hopefully everybody at home will also feel, like, that joy that we've felt putting this
show together."
Of course, there's the business of films. And this year, there are plenty to root for. Oppenheimer takes the crown as this year's most-nominated film, with a total of 13 nominations, while Poor Things follows with 11 nods. Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro, among others, rounds out the top three with an impressive 10 nominations.
The movies are among this year's Best Picture nominees, alongside American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Maestro, Past Lives, and The Zone of Interest.
Thankfully, those of us not lucky enough to have landed a coveted golden ticket to attend the ceremony will still be able to enjoy all of the action from the comfort of our couches. Newsweek has rounded up all the information you need ahead of Hollywood's biggest night.
Who Is Hosting?
The show will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, marking his fourth time in the role.
Kimmel's wife Molly McNearney, who serves as an executive producer at the Oscars, said on Wednesday of her husband leading proceedings: "We do not take this for granted. Every time we get asked, we are completely honored and very excited to be here again.
"We definitely learn lessons each time. Jimmy gets more and more comfortable. I get more and more nervous. It's kind of our dynamic. I think that Jimmy just has really become very relaxed as a host. He knows the room really well. He has a lot of respect for the room, and likes to have fun with them.
In terms of what can be expected this time around, McNearney said that "every
year gets to feel a little different based on the movies we get to celebrate, the people we get to celebrate. And so we're always looking for new angles, and we have found plenty, which you'll, I hope, enjoy watching."
When & How to Watch
The 96th Academy Awards will be broadcast live from Hollywood's Dolby Theatre by ABC on Sunday, March 10. The awards ceremony will hit screens at a slightly earlier new time of 7:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00 p.m. PDT / 11:00 p.m. GMT / 7:00 p.m. CST.
Fans who prefer to stream the show can do so on abc.com and the ABC app. Additionally, many other streaming services—including Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, and AT&T TV—offer free trials to ABC.
Viewers outside of the U.S. can also watch the Academy Awards live. The show is broadcast in more than 200 territories worldwide. For international local listings, click here to access the official Oscars website.
Academy Award Nominees
Below are the major nominees for this year's Academy Awards. For a full list of nominees, visit the Academy's website.
Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Best Director
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Best Actress
Annette Bening, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Best Original Screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives
Best Adapted Screenplay
American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Best Animated Film
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Foreign Film
The Teachers' Lounge, Germany
Io Capitano, Italy
Perfect Days, Japan
Society of the Snow, Spain
The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom
Best Original Song
"The Fire Inside" from Flamin' Hot
"I'm Just Ken" from Barbie
"It Never Went Away" from American Symphony
"Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)," Killers of the Flower Moon
"What Was I Made For?" from Barbie
The 96th Academy Awards will be broadcast live by ABC on Sunday, March 10, from 7:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00 p.m. PDT / 11:00 p.m. GMT / 7:00 p.m. CST.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
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