The splashy Academy Awards are taking place on Monday.
The awards show, better known as the Oscars, kick off from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles at 7e/4p on ABC and Hulu, with Conan O’Brien hosting.
And beforehand, stars like Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana and Demi Moore have been working hard to look their very best for Hollywood’s biggest night.
Many have been getting facials and red light therapy.
Others have been workout out so they can look as toned as can be on the big night.
Then there are those who have just been hitting party after party, because the best way to get ready for Oscar night is to get all your networking done in advance.
Zoe Saldana, an Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Emilia Perez, seen getting made up earlier this week
Jennifer Aniston is seen getting red light therapy with a black mask on; it is not known if she is hitting the Oscars or just the parties
Conan O’Brien said he doesn’t ‘want to let America down’ at the Oscars.
The 61-year-old star is set to host the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, and Conan is determined to ‘lift people up’ during the ceremony.
He told PEOPLE: ‘It’s a celebration of an entire industry and people from every walk of life who give their blood, sweat and tears for showbusiness.’
Conan has admitted to being inspired by previous Oscars hosts, including Johnny Carson and Bob Hope.
The TV star shared: ‘I thought about when I was a kid watching the Oscars, and I was very interested in watching Johnny Carson host and I think I saw Bob Hope early on. My gut reaction, which I usually go with, was, ‘Yes, let’s do this thing!”
Conan has also reached out to Billy Crystal and Jimmy Kimmel, two former hosts, for some advice.
The comedian hailed Billy, 76 – who has hosted the Academy Awards nine times – as the ‘all-time great’ Oscars host.
Conan explained: ‘I have a nice text exchange with Billy Crystal, who’s obviously the all-time great.
Selena Gomez has been preparing to present at the Oscars by doing Rare Beauty treatments with Niacinamide Hydrating Body Lotion
Demi Moore is nominated for Best Actress for The Substance. Seen with her glam team last week
‘And last week I had dinner with Molly [McNearney, Jimmy’s wife and a two-time executive producer] and Jimmy.
‘They were terrific [and] have so much great advice … It’s like people that have driven the racetrack many times and they’re telling me, ‘When you get into the third turn, there’s a huge pothole, so veer to the left.’ It’s invaluable stuff.’
Despite this, Conan still expects hosting the ceremony to be a ‘challenge’.
He said: ‘There’s no such thing as getting to a point professionally where there are no nerves if you’re working in comedy.
‘I am very aware that it’s an iconic show and can be tricky … I like to meet a challenge.’
Ariana Grande is set to perform alongside Cynthia Erivo at the Oscars.
The 31-year-old actress starred alongside Cynthia, 38, in the musical fantasy film ‘Wicked’ in 2024, and the duo are poised to reunite at the Oscars on March 2.
In a post on Instagram, the Academy Awards said: ‘A spellbinding moment awaits. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande take the #Oscars stage for a performance you won’t forget.
Elle Fanning, promoting FAME perfume, will do a workout before presenting at the Oscars
Ariana played Glinda in ‘Wicked’, and she earned a nomination for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
Cynthia, on the other hand, played Elphaba in the musical fantasy film, earning a Best Actress nomination for her performance.
Meanwhile, Cynthia previously revealed that she developed an immediate ‘connection’ with her ‘Wicked’ co-star.
The actress told ‘Extra’: ‘When we found out we were doing this, I asked her to come around and just chill. We organised it together and she came to my house. We sat on my floor and chatted for hours and hours and hours.
‘I think in that moment, we both realised that we had something, like an immediate sort of connection.’
Ariana also relished the experience of working with Cynthia on the movie.
She said: ‘I think the thing that’s been most special about it is that, from the moment we met, our first talk, we had a really honest agreement and commitment to take care of each other and to always be honest with each other and make space for the feelings that come up along the way and just take care of each other as friends.
‘That just grew and grew and grew deeper and deeper as the process went on and still is. It’s just like really, really beautiful and legit. I’m so grateful.’
Halle Berry will be a presenter; she will prepare by taking her peri-menopause treatments. Her wellness platform, RESPIN, is focusing on creating a community of support and resources, including products, for women going through ‘the change’
It looks like some of the biggest Hollywood glamour gals will be there to help give out the gold Oscar statuette.
Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Scarlett Johansson have been confirmed.
Also on the list are Whoopi Goldberg, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb and Bowen Yang.
Last year’s acting award winners are set to return to the Oscars stage to present awards this year!
2024′s Best Supporting Actor Robert Downey Jr (Oppenheimer), Best Supporting Actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers), Best Actress Emma Stone (Poor Things) and Best Actor Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) were the first four presenters announced for the 2025 ceremony.
Penelope Cruz, left, and Scarlett Johansson, right – who co-starred in Vicky Cristina Barcelona – will also present
The nominations for the Academy Awards were announced on January 23.
Some very big names were left off the list, shocking fans.
The top one was Selena Gomez, who had the role of a Mexican drug lord’s unhinged wife who acts in desperation after she believes her spouse died. Gomez’s song Mi Camino was nominated, however.
Instead, her co-star Zoe Saldana was nominated for her part as a lawyer who helps a man turn into a woman. And Karla Sofía Gascón, the lead, was also nominated.
Angelina Jolie was not nominated for playing opera singer Maria Callas in Maria though she was on a good awards streak before this with a Golden Globe nomination.
Nicole Kidman did not get any Oscar love for her performance in Babygirl. She played Romy Mathis, a married tech company CEO who begins an affair with a young intern (Harris Dickinson).
Pamela Anderson did not get a nod for her impressive turn as a withered Las Vegas performer in The Last Showgirl. Her co-star Jamie Lee Curtis was also left out in the cold.
And Zendaya was not recognized for her performance in the tennis film Challengers.
Also ignored was Stanley Tucci who was overlooked in the Best Supporting Actor for his powerful performance in Conclave.
Edward Berger was shut out for directing Conclave.
Margaret Qualley did not land in the Best Supporting Actress category for The Substance but her co-star Demi Moore was nominated for Best Actress.
The award ceremony will take place as scheduled on March 2 at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, with Conan O’Brien taking on hosting duties for the first time.
The nominees for best actor are: Adrien Brody, ‘The Brutalist’; Timothée Chalamet, ‘A Complete Unknown’; Colman Domingo, ‘Sing Sing’; Ralph Fiennes, ‘Conclave’; Sebastian Stan, ‘The Apprentice.’
The nominees for best actress are: Demi Moore, ‘The Substance’; Cynthia Erivo, ‘Wicked’; Mikey Madison, ‘Anora’; Karla Sofía Gascón, ‘Emilia Pérez’; Fernanda Torres, ‘I´m Still Here’
The nominees for original song are: ‘El Mal’ from ‘Emilia Perez’; ‘The Journey’ from ‘The Six Triple Eight’; ‘Like a Bird’ from ‘Sing Sing’; ‘Mi Camino’ from ‘Emilia Pérez’; ‘Never Too Late’ from ‘Elton John: Never Too Late.’
The nominees for best animated film are: ‘Flow’; ‘Inside Out 2’; ‘Memoir of a Snail’; ‘Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’; ‘The Wild Robot.’
The nominees for best supporting actor are: Yura Borisov, ‘Anora’; Kieran Culkin, ‘A Real Pain’; Edward Norton, ‘A Complete Unknown’; Guy Pearce, ‘The Brutalist’; Jeremy Strong, ‘The Apprentice.’
The nominees for Best Supporting Actress are: Monica Barbaro, ‘A Complete Unknown’; Felicity Jones, ‘The Brutalist’; Ariana Grande, ‘Wicked’; Isabella Rossellini, ‘Conclave’; Zoe Saldaña, ‘Emilia Pérez.’
The nominees for original screenplay are: ‘Anora’; ‘The Brutalist’; ‘A Real Pain’; ‘September 5’; ‘The Substance.’
Gomez had the role of a Mexican drug lord’s unhinged wife who acts in desperation after she believes her spouse died
Jolie learned to sing opera for her role in Maria
Anderson shot her film The Last Showgirl in Las Vegas with Gia Coppola
Kidman played Romy Mathis, a married tech company CEO who begins an affair with a young intern (Harris Dickinson)
Hollywood´s awards season all but came to a halt as the wildfires disrupted life and work in the Los Angeles area. There were near-daily updates from the Hollywood guilds and organizations that put on awards shows as the industry navigates the crisis and fallout.
But as of now, here´s the dates of major upcoming awards shows, from the Oscars to the Grammys.
The enormity of the destruction in Southern California quickly snuffed out all festivity in the movie industry´s high season of celebration.
The fires have struck at the very heart of a movie industry still trying to stabilize itself after years of pandemic, labor turmoil and technological upheaval. Not for the first time this decade, the Oscars are facing the question of: Should the show go on? And if it does, what do they mean now?
The Oscars remain as scheduled, but it´s certain that they will be transformed due to the wildfires, and that most of the red-carpet pomp that typically stretches between now and then will be curtailed if not altogether canceled. With so many left without a home by the fires, there´s scant appetite for the usual self-congratulatory parades of the season.
Focus has turned, instead, to what the Oscars might symbolize for a traumatized Los Angeles. The Oscars have never meant less, but, at the same time, they might be more important than ever as a beacon of perseverance for the reeling movie capital.
The Oscars will be broadcast live on ABC, hosted by Conan O´Brien.
Actors Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott hosted the announcement.
The show will be available to stream on Oscars.com, Oscars.org, as well as on the Academy´s social media platforms. It will also stream on ABC, Hulu and Disney+.
Oscar nominees 2025 full list – see who received nods for this year’s Academy Awards
Best Picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Emilia Pérez leads this year’s Oscar nominees with 13, including for best picture, actress, supporting actress and director
Best Director
Jacques Audiard — Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker — Anora
Brady Corbet — The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat — The Substance
James Mangold — A Complete Unknown
Actress in a Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo — Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón — Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison — Anora
Demi Moore — The Substance
Fernanda Torres — I’m Still Here
The Substance has been nominated for numerous Oscars, including Best Actress for Demi Moore
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody — The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet — A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo — Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes — Conclave
Sebastian Stan — The Apprentice
The Brutalist came in second place with 10 nods, including for best picture, actor (Adrien Brody), supporting actor (Guy Peare) and supporting actress (Felicity Jones)
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro — A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande — Wicked
Felicity Jones — The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini — Conclave
Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov — Anora
Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain
Edward Norton — A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce — The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong — The Apprentice
Animated Feature Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Cinematography
The Brutalist — Lol Crawley
Dune: Part Two — Greig Fraser
Emilia Pérez — Paul Guilhaume
Maria — Ed Lachman
Nosferatu — Jarin Blaschke
Original Screenplay
Anora — Sean Baker
The Brutalist — Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold
A Real Pain — Jesse Eisenberg
September 5 — Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; co-Written by Alex David
The Substance — Coralie Fargeat
Adapted Screenplay
A Complete Unknown — James Mangold and Jay Cocks
Conclave — Peter Straughan
Emilia Pérez — Jacques Audiard with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi
Nickel Boys — RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
Sing Sing — Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield
Achievement in Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked
Achievement in Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Original Song
El Mal – Emilia Pérez
The Journey – The Six Triple Eight
Like A Bird – Sing Sing
Mi Camino – Emilia Pérez
Never Too Late – Elton John: Never Too Late
Original Score
The Brutalist — Daniel Blumberg
Conclave — Volker Bertelmann
Emilia Pérez — Clément Ducol and Camille
Wicked — John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
The Wild Robot — Kris Bowers
Live-Action Short Film
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!
Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Flow is nominated for both International Feature Film and Animated Feature Film
Documentary Short Film
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
International Feature Film
I’m Still Here (Brazil)
The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)
Emilia Pérez (France)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Flow (Latvia)
Kieran Culkin has dominated the supporting actor categories in recent weeks for Jesse Eisenberg’s drama A Real Pain
Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked
Achievement in Costume Design
A Complete Unknown — Arianne Phillips
Conclave — Lisy Christl
Gladiator II — Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
Nosferatu — Linda Muir
Wicked — Paul Tazewell
Achievement in Film Editing
Anora — Sean Baker
The Brutalist — David Jancso
Conclave — Nick Emerson
Emilia Pérez — Juliette Welfling
Wicked — Myron Kerstein
Anora is nominated for several Oscars, including best picture, actress, supporting actor, director, screenplay and editing
Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
