The 97th Academy Awards are set to kick off March 2 at 7 p.m. ET live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles.
While many critics have tapped “Anora” to win the top prize for Best Picture, “The Brutalist” and “Conclave are also considered contenders.
This year’s Oscars will be a night of firsts for any of the directors competing for Best Director — Sean Baker, Brady Corbet, James Mangold, Jacques Audiard and Coralie Fargeat — who are all first-time nominees in the category.
Here’s everything you need to know heading into Sunday.
How to watch the 2025 Oscars?
This year’s Oscars broadcast will air on ABC and will also be available to stream via Hulu and FuboTV. Like last year, the ceremony will begin an hour earlier than usual at 7 p.m. ET.
The red carpet pre-show begins at 3:30 p.m. ET with “Countdown to Oscars: On The Red Carpet Live,” until the live show kicks off when celebrities make their way into the Dolby Theatre. You can catch the fashionable action live on ABC, or stream it on OnTheRedCarpet.com and on the On the Red Carpet Facebook and YouTube pages.
Who’s hosting the 2025 Oscars?
Conan O’Brien will preside over this year’s ceremony, a career first.
The five-time Emmy winner, 61, joked: “America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”
Who’s performing at the 2025 Oscars?
If the out-of-the box musical line-up serves as any indication, this year’s Oscars could give viewers much more than they anticipated.
Doja Cat is among the musical talent confirmed to hit the stage to honor the best films of the year.
The Grammy-winner will join Lisa of the K-Pop group Blackpink, British soul singer Raye and “Wicked” stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as performers for Hollywood’s biggest night.
Queen Latifah will take part in a tribute to Quincy Jones, who died in November at age 91.
The night will also feature a special performance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale that is likely tied to a tribute to the city’s endurance following the deadly and destructive wildfires.
Who’s presenting at the 2025 Oscars?
Samuel L. Jackson, Zoe Saldaña, Andrew Garfield, Rachel Zegler and Harrison Ford were announced Thursday as the new crop of actors joining the long list of presenters at the 2025 Oscars.
Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Cillian Murphy, Connie Nielsen, Oprah Winfrey, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, and Halle Berry were previously announced to appear.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Sterling K. Brown, Penélope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr., Elle Fanning, Connie Nielsen, Amy Poehler, June Squibb, Ben Stiller, Emma Stone and Bowen Yang were also confirmed.
What film is favored to win at the 2025 Oscars?
Sean Baker’s “Anora” has been heralded by critics and is favored by many to win the Best Picture prize, among six nominations. But nearly equally favored is “The Brutalist,” which has 10 nominations.
And up for eight awards, the star-studded “Conclave” – with Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini among its cast — could also be in contention.
What are the potential upsets at this year’s Oscars?
Timothée Chalamet’s star turn as rock & roll legend Bob Dylan gave Adrian Brody in “The Brutalist” a run for his money with a surprising 2025 SAG Award win.
The Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alum already has an Oscar nomination under his belt for his breakthrough role in 2017’s “Call Me By Your Name.”
But the race has tightened between him and Brody, who is predicted to take home the Best Actor prize for his riveting performance as a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor in the three-and-half hour-plus saga. This marks Brody’s first nomination since he won the 2003 Best Actor honor.
Who was snubbed?
Denzel Washington, who already has two Oscars to his credit, received high marks for playing a ruthless slave owner in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II.” But it wasn’t enough to be recognized for a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman was overlooked in the Best Actress category for her work as a corporate executive who has an affair with a much younger employee in “Babygirl.” So was Oscar winner Tilda Swinton as a suicidal woman in “The Room Next Door” and six-time nominee Amy Adams, for her portrayal of a stay-at-home mom who undergoes a terrifying transformation in “Nightbitch.”
