LOS ANGELES, CA — Hollywood's biggest night is back again! The 97th Academy Awards will be held Sunday night.
The day gets started on the red carpet starting at 2 p.m. on ABC15. See all of the stars in their best attire as they arrive at the Oscars!
Following World News tonight at 4 p.m., we will head back to the red carpet for the final half hour before the ceremony begins at 5 p.m.
You can watch it all on ABC15!
What time is ABC's red carpet show?
Ahead of Sunday's big show, both Friday editions of "Good Morning America" and "GMA3: What You Need to Know" will be focused on all things Oscars. Later that evening, "GMA" co-anchor Robin Roberts hosts the primetime special "Countdown to the Oscars with Robin Roberts: A Special Edition of 20/20."
On Sunday, tune in to ABC's official pre-show, "On the Red Carpet at the Oscars," to see live interviews from the red carpet with some of the night's nominees and presenters.
The pre-show, hosted by ABC News Live "Prime" anchor and "World News Tonight" Sunday anchor Linsey Davis and "GMA" weekend co-anchor and "World News Tonight" Saturday anchor Whit Johnson, will be streamed on ABC and ABC News Live. Joining them will be ABC News correspondent Chris Connelly, KABC-TV entertainment reporter George Pennacchio and Variety’s chief awards editor Clayton Davis.
"Dancing with the Stars" co-host and "Bachelor" host Jesse Palmer will then host a 30-minute pre-show, "The Oscars Red Carpet Show," which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
On Monday, "Live with Kelly and Mark" will broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood for a special "After the Oscars Show" episode.
Who's hosting the Oscars?
Conan O’Brien is hosting the Academy Awards for the first time.
"I never have been invited to the Oscars," the late night host-turned podcaster and occasional movie star said at a news conference Wednesday. “I only hosted so that I could be invited.”
O'Brien said he would not hesitate to talk about the nation's fraught political situation.
“I cannot ignore the moment we’re in," he said. "But I also have to remember it’s threading a needle. I also have to remember what we’re here to celebrate and infuse the show with positivity.”
He said compared to all the other things he's done, hosting the Oscars is like “for the first time getting to drive a Ferrari.
“I’d like to keep the tuxedo,” he said. “They made me an absolutely beautiful tuxedo. It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever put on in my life.”
How have the wildfires altered the show?
The wildfires that consumed large parts of Los Angeles in early January led some to call for the cancellation of the Academy Awards. The academy twice postponed the announcement of nominations but never pushed the March 2 date of the ceremony. Academy leaders have argued the show must go ahead, for their economic impact on Los Angeles and as a symbol of resilience.
The fires will be addressed during the show both directly and in its themes, and viewers will be able to make donations.
“There’s been so many people that have been touched by this devastation,” Raj Kapoor, the show's executive producer and showrunner, said Wednesday. “There’s been so much outreach, and we really wanted to create some really beautiful moments on stage that celebrate this amazing city that we live in.”
For many involved in the Oscars, the fires have been felt acutely. O'Brien's Pacific Palisades home survived but his family has been unable to go back to it. O'Brien's assistant and podcast co-host Sona Movsesian lost her home.
“I know so many people who lost their homes and I’m just, was ridiculously lucky,” O’Brien told The Associated Press. “So we want to make sure that that show reflects what’s happening and that we put a light on the right people in the right way.”
Who's presenting at the Oscars?
The academy on Wednesday added to its extensive lineup of presenters. Dave Bautista, Harrison Ford, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher, Zoe Saldaña and Rachel Zegler will all present.
They join a roster of previously announced presenters including Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, Joe Alwyn, Ana de Armas, Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson, Bowen Yang, Lily-Rose Depp and Sterling K. Brown.
Last year's acting winners — Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph — will also take part in the ceremony. Though the academy initially said it would bring back the “fab five” style of presenting the acting awards, with five previous winners per category, organizers have reportedly abandoned those plans for Sunday's ceremony. Nick Offerman will serve as the show's announcer.
Will there be any performances?
The academy has announced that, unlike previous years, the original song nominees will not be performed this time. That doesn't mean there won't be music, though.
Producers said Wednesday that Queen Latifah will be part of a musical tribute to the late Quincy Jones, who was honored in November with one of the academy's Governor's Awards just weeks after his death.
Doja Cat, LISA of Blackpink, Queen Latifah and RAYE will also perform, as will “Wicked's” Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. (The songs from “Wicked” weren't eligible for best song since, hailing from the Broadway musical, they aren't original to the movie.) The Los Angeles Master Chorale will also appear.
What's nominated for best picture?
The 10 nominees for best picture are: “Anora”; “The Brutalist”; “A Complete Unknown”; “Conclave”; “Dune: Part 2”; “Emilia Pérez”; “I’m Still Here”; “Nickel Boys”; “The Substance”; “Wicked”
How can I watch the Oscar-nominated films?
Some of the nominees are still in theaters, but many of this year’s Oscar nominees are streaming on various platforms. The AP has this handy guide to help with Oscar cramming.
Who are the favorites?
More than most years, that’s a tricky question, but a front-runner had emerged after “Anora” took the top awards at the Producers Guild, Directors Guild and Independent Spirit Awards. The best picture race had been seen as unusually wide open, with “Anora,” “Conclave,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown” and “Emilia Pérez” all having legitimate hopes of winning — the hopes of “Conclave” further boosted by its Screen Actors Guild ensemble win.
In the acting categories, Demi Moore (“The Substance”) is favored for best actress, although Mikey Madison's BAFTA and Independent Spirit wins for “Anora” makes it more of a race. Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) is most likely in best actor — though SAG winner Timothée Chalamet could threaten — while Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) is the supporting actress front-runner and Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) is the favorite for best supporting actor.
What's the deal with
‘Emilia Pérez’?
Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” a narco-musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirming surgery, comes in with a leading 13 nominations. The film, at one point, seemed like Netflix’s best chance yet to land the streamer its first best picture win. Its star, Karla Sofía Gascón, made history by becoming the first openly trans actor nominated for an Oscar.
But no nominee has had a rockier post-nominations Oscar campaign. After old offensive tweets by Gascón were uncovered, the actress issued an apology. The fallout, though, has badly damaged a movie that was already a divisive contender, and led Netflix to radically refocus its flagging campaign.
