Awards season is coming to a close, and it's now time for the 94th Academy Awards. There is much to know about Hollywood's most glamorous night. For years, The Oscars have been influential in highlighting the best of film, and this year, the Academy is looking to change things up with this year's live broadcast. Due to last year's low ratings, the event producers have worked tirelessly to produce an entertaining show now that the world is returning to some normalcy.
This year's Oscars nominees have gained a lot of traction, with Kristen Stewart, Will Smith, and Ariana DeBose being the most favored to win. Other favorites, including CODA, Dune, The Power of the Dog, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Drive My Car, and Flee, have been discussed among critics and movie lovers on who will take home the gold. There has also been quite a lot of controversy surrounding this year's show. From an actress of a nominated movie being snubbed to cutting out major categories from the live broadcast, this year's show will be talked about. Here is everything you need to know about this year's Oscars.
Who Is Hosting?
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There will be a host at this year's Oscars for the first time in three years. The Academy added three hosts this time around, with Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes to share hosting duties. This will be the first time for these three to emcee the Oscars and the first time in 35 years to have three hosts. Sykes and Schumer are veteran standup comedians with writing and movie credits. Hall is known for starring in the Scary Movie franchise and other hits like Girls Trip, The Best Man, and Little. Schumer is most known for her Emmy-winning comedy series, Inside Amy Schumer, and the comedy film she wrote and starred in Trainwreck. Sykes has also won an Emmy in 1999 for her writing on The Chris Rock Show and has starred on shows like The Upshaws and Black-ish.
When the hosts were announced last month, Schumer joked in a video with GMA, "I'm not sure who thought this was a good idea, but I am hosting the Oscars along with my good friend Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall. I better go watch some movies."
The Oscars have been without a host for the last three years, and after last year's awkward ending of the show and COVID-19 restrictions, the Academy is looking to bounce back on top. Only 10 million people tuned into last year's broadcast, hitting an all-time low. This new power trio -- who all have prior hosting experiences -- is expected to boost those views by bringing the laughs.
Who Is Presenting & Performing?
The show's producers have announced the slate of presenters for this year's glamorous event throughout the month. Among them are some pretty exciting names, including Venus and Serena Williams, who are supporting King Richard. The film is based on their father's influence on their tennis careers. Other presenters include Bill Murray, Lady Gaga, Zoë Kravitz, Josh Brolin, Jacob Elordi, Mila Kunis, Kevin Costner, Chris Rock, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Wesley Snipes. Last year's Best Supporting Actor and Actress winners, Daniel Kaluuya and Yuh-Jung Youn, will also take the stage to present.
With this year's Oscars already making several headlines with its controversies, there was one presenter added to the roster after an outcry of disappointment. A fan posted a comment on West Side Story's Rachel Zegler's Instagram, stating how excited they were to see what she would be wearing on the red carpet. Zegler replied that she was not invited but would still root for her West Side Story family from the comfort of her home. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, has seven nominations, including Best Picture, and not inviting the star of the film did not sit well with fans, including Russ Tamblyn, who played Riff in the original West Side Story. He tweeted that the Academy needs to do right by Zegler and has pointed out that "When they say representation matters, this is what that means." Last Sunday, Zegler tweeted how much she appreciated the support from her fans and other actors and will officially present at this year's Oscars.
Producers of the Oscars have enlisted an impressive amount of artists to perform at this year's star-studded event. Beyoncé is in talks to perform King Richard's Best Original Song nominee "Be Alive," live at a tennis court from Compton, CA. Billie Eilish and Finneas will perform their nominated song "No Time To Die" from No Time To Die. Reba McEntire and Sebastián Yatra will also perform the other nominated songs from that category from the films Four Good Days and Encanto. It was also announced that Encanto cast members, Adassa, Stephanie Beatriz, Mauro Castillo, Carolina Gaitan, and Diane Guerrero will perform the film's most popular song, "We Don't Talk About Bruno." Becky G and Luis Fonsi will also join them on stage.
When Are The Oscars?
For the first time since the pandemic, The Academy Awards will return to the Dolby Theater live this Sunday, March 27th, on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PST.
Everything Else to Know
As per tradition, The Academy will be awarding a few Honorary Oscars at the Governors Awards during Oscars weekend. Elaine May (A New Leaf), Liv Ullman(Utvandarna), and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) will receive high honors. Veteran actor Danny Glover will also receive The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award that same night for his decades of activism and services, including being a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and the United Nations Development Program. Glover has made a great name for himself in the industry, from his early works in The Color Purple (1985) and the Lethal Weapon series to appearing in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums.
This year's Oscars have already garnered controversy, especially after the Academy announced last month that eight of its 23 categories would be cut from the live broadcast. Best Sound, Original Score, Makeup/ Hairstyling, Film Editing, Production Design, Documentary Short, Animated Short, and Live-Action Short will not be aired. Shortly after the Academy announced the changes, filmmakers and movie lovers have urged them to change the format back to its original. They have even considered not watching the show this year. It has caused outrage amongst the film industry. All justified, with many filmmakers and Academy members feeling undervalued for their work. One of them anonymously revealed that ABC gave the Academy an ultimatum of cutting out 12 categories or losing the entire show. A compromise was made, and only eight were cut down. Winners for the cut categories will be announced one hour before the telecast and will be recorded and cut into the live show. We will just have to wait to see if the Oscars will be a success.