Oscars 2025: Your Ultimate Guide to Film’s Most Anticipated Night | Entertainment & Arts News

March 2, 2025 TruthUSA

The night is ablaze with stars in Hollywood as the globe’s most renowned actors come together to honor the finest films and performances from the past year.

Glistening A-list celebrities such as Demi Moore, Timothee Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Zoe Saldana, and Kieran Culkin are expected to grace this year’s Academy Awards.

The competition has been wild and unpredictable thus far—what should we anticipate for the event itself?

When and where?

The 97th Academy Awards will take place today at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The red carpet activities kick off at 3:30 PM Eastern Time, which corresponds to 8:30 PM UK Time, followed by the ceremony at 7:00 PM Eastern Time, midnight for UK viewers. Movie enthusiasts in the UK might have a late night ahead, but it promises to be worth it to see who walks away with an award.

As the last awards event of the season, this year’s Oscars come on the heels of catastrophic wildfires that impacted Los Angeles in early January.

The Academy had to extend their voting period twice, delaying the revelation of nominations, but they remained committed to the ceremony on March 2, asserting that the show must proceed as a beacon of resilience.

Thus, the theme for this year’s Oscars is “celebration of connection,” aiming to unite the global film community after the ravaging events in the area.

Who’s hosting?

Comedian and late-night television host Conan O’Brien is making his debut as the host.

His prior experience with writing for The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live positions him well, and though he’s unlikely to roast the esteemed guests, his playful style holds promise for some spontaneous humor.

He succeeds Jimmy Kimmel, the trio of Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes, and several years of Oscar ceremonies without a host.

Who’s performing?

Typically, the nominees for best original song perform during the ceremony, but this year, that’s taking a turn.

The Academy has decided to “move away from live performances,” focusing instead on songwriters.

There’s speculation that last year’s iconic Kenergy-driven performance of I’m Just Ken, led by Ryan Gosling, which was so spectacular it even caused a wardrobe mishap for best actress winner Emma Stone, may have set the bar too high to follow.

Some believe that critical feedback regarding certain lyrics from Emilia Perez’s numbers—two of which are up for nomination—may have led to this decision.

Additionally, songs from Wicked were not eligible for consideration since they originated from a Broadway show rather than being written solely for the film.

Nonetheless, there is broad consensus that it would be a missed opportunity to have Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande present without them performing—hence, their singing appearance is confirmed for the evening.

Additional performances will showcase singer Doja Cat, Blackpink and White Lotus star Lisa, rapper Queen Latifah, and British artist Raye.

A musical tribute to legendary producer and composer Quincy Jones and a special feature by the Los Angeles Master Chorale are also on the slate.

What awards are being handed out?

The ceremony will feature 23 award categories (this will increase to 24 next year with the addition of a casting category).

Understandably, winners are expected to keep their acceptance speeches to just 45 seconds, after which music is played to politely nudge them off-stage.

Check out the full list of nominations.

Who’s presenting?

The recently announced presenters include Dave Bautista, Harrison Ford, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher, Zoe Saldana, and Rachel Zegler.

Last year’s winners in the best actor category—Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Emma Stone—will also return to present awards.

Previously revealed presenters encompass Joe Alwyn, Halle Berry, Sterling K. Brown, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, Lily-Rose Depp, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Connie Nielsen, Amy Poehler, June Squibb, Ben Stiller, Oprah Winfrey, and Bowen Yang.

Who is expected to win?

The competition is fierce this year, with few clear frontrunners.

The best supporting actor category seems the most predictable, with Kieran Culkin favorited for best supporting actor and Zoe Saldana as the potential winner from Emilia Perez after the film’s tumultuous campaign.

Best actor is perceived as a tussle between Adrien Brody for The Brutalist (potentially his second Oscar) and Ralph Fiennes, who shines as a charming cardinal in Conclave.

Best actress is likely to be a contest between Demi Moore for The Substance and Mikey Madison for Anora.

The best director award could very well go to Sean Baker for Anora or Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, while the biggest honor of the night—best picture—seems likely to be awarded to either Anora or Conclave.

If you’re curious about the 10 nominated films for best picture and where to find them, check this out.

Any surprises in store?

In the best actor category, Timothee Chalamet, in his quest for excellence, might just surprise everyone and snag the award, marking him as the youngest winner at 29.

In the best actress category, Brazilian talent Fernanda Torres—previously mostly unknown in the U.S.—is now the name on everyone’s lips for her standout role in I’m Still Here.

With many voters viewing films late in the process, it’s likely that her fresh role had significant influence leading up to voting week and may have swayed opinions in its final hours.

If Torres were to win, she would achieve a milestone that eluded her mother, actress Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated in 1999 but lost to Gwyneth Paltrow, who infamously teared up during her acceptance.

I’m Still Here might create waves in the best picture category as well. Nominated for best international feature, best actress, and best picture, a win for the latter would be a shocking, Parasite-like victory for a foreign film, marking only the second time a non-English film has captured this prestigious award after Bong Joon-ho’s unexpected triumph.

Sky News will be liveblogging the entire event—from red carpet arrivals to the ceremony itself—and will also provide a hosted livestream from the Vanity Fair and Sir Elton John’s after-party red carpets, catching the Oscar winners as they celebrate the night away.

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