Five things to watch out For at the oscars

1. Streaming giant Netflix could take a major step forward in its quest to be both a distribution king and a purveyor of quality original content if Roma becomes its first film to take home a Best Picture Oscar. A victory for Roma would also make history as it would be the first foreign-language film to do so.

2. Glenn Close (pictured) is a winner of three Emmys, three Golden Globes and three Tony Awards. But Oscar has never smiled on her. This year, with her seventh nomination, could finally be her year. She earned rave reviews for her portrayal of Joan Castleman in The Wife. She has swept the major prizes so far this awards season, from the Golden Globe to a Screen Actors Guild prize to the Critics’ Choice Award she shared with Lady Gaga.

3. Spike Lee is still bitter about what is perceived as one of the most egregious Oscar snubs: the choice of Driving Miss Daisy for Best Picture in 1990, when his Do The Right Thing was not nominated. But this year, his Blackkklansman is up for six Oscars, and Lee himself was nominated three times: for Best Picture as a producer, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Lee was given a honorary Oscar a few years ago for lifetime achievement but has never taken home a competitive Academy Award.

4. For the first time in 30 years, the Oscars will go on without a host. The job was initially offered to Kevin Hart, but backlash over a series of old tweets quickly ended that. So gala organisers are going without an emcee for the first time since 1989 .

5. Lady Gaga, Queen with Adam Lambert, Bette Midler and some of music’s biggest stars will perform Oscarnominated songs. Gaga and Bradley Cooper will sing their power ballad Shallow from A Star Is Born live for the first time on TV. Midler will do The Place Where Lost Things Go from Mary Poppins Returns, and Jennifer Hudson will sing the theme song I’ll Fight from the documentary RBG.