Film favourites line up to vie for Academy Awards
After a winter barrage of award shows – the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Grammys – the grandaddy of them all, the Academy Awards, are around the corner.
The 96th Oscars may be a coronation for Oppenheimer, which comes in with a leading 13 nominations, though other films, including Barbie, Killers Of The Flower Moon and Poor Things are in the mix.
Here is all you need to know about this year’s show.
When are the Oscars?
The Oscars will be held on Sunday March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in LA, and can be viewed on ITVX from 9.30p. Will there be performances?
Yes, all the original song nominees will be performed on the show. So, Ryan Gosling will serenade everyone with Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt’s Barbie power ballad I’m Just Ken, and Billie Eilish will sing What Was I Made For.
Who is presenting the event?
The previous year’s big winners traditionally come back to present, so expect Brendan Fraser, Michelle Ye oh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis to hand out gongs.
Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino will also appear, as will Zendaya, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Lange, Nicolas Cage.
Who is hosting the Oscars?
Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted last year’s ceremony, will emcee for the fourth time. What’s up for best picture?
The ten nominees are American Fiction, Anatomy Of A Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers Of The Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest.
Who are the favourites?
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is the frontrunner. Nolan,the best director favourite, is also poised to win his first Oscar.
The best actress category could be a nail-biter between Lily Gladstone (Killers Of The Flower Moon) and Emma Stone (Poor Things). If Gladstone were to win, she would be the first Native American to win an Oscar.
Best actor, too, could be a close contest between Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers). Both would be first-time winners.
Giamatti’s co-star Da’Vine Joy Randolph may take best supporting actress, while Robert Downey Jr’s (Oppenheimer) closest rival for best supporting actor is Ryan Gosling for Barbie.