Oscars 2025: 'Anora' wins best picture, earns five awards total

Here is a look at all the winners and drama from the highly anticipated ceremony.

‘Anora’ comes out on top, wins best picture

10:50 p.m.: “Anora” – Sean Baker’s screwball comedy about a stripper who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch – was the night’s big winner, taking home a total of five awards, including best picture, best actress, best original screenplay, best editing and best directing.

Baker also became the first person to win four Academy Awards on the same night for the same film.

In an acceptance speech for the best picture, producer Alex Coco urged independent filmmakers to continue making films.

Producer Samantha Quan, Baker’s wife, who hails from Vancouver, said “We made this with very little money but with all of our heart,” telling filmmakers to follow their dreams. 

“To all of the dreamers and the young filmmakers out there,” Quan added, “tell the stories that move you. I promise you you will never regret it.”

“Long live independent film!” Baker cried. — Richie Assaly, Briony Smith

Massive upset as Mikey Madison beats Demi Moore

10:40 p.m.: One of the biggest Oscar upsets in years occurred tonight as “Anora” star Mikey Madison took home the best actress trophy, beating out frontrunner Demi Moore, who was widely expected to win for “The Substance.”

Moore’s momentum began after a win — and a heart-tugging speech — at the Golden Globes, plus triumphs at the SAG and Critics Choice awards. Madison, however, also nabbed several important wins, including at the Independent Spirit and BAFTA awards.

In her Oscar speech, Madison thanked the sex worker community and said she would “continue to support and be an ally to all the women from the community.” 

“The women I’ve had the privilege of meeting from that community has been one of the highlights of this entire incredible experience,” Madison said, referring to the dancers and sex workers consulted for the film.

Madison’s little gold statue makes her the first actress since 1977 to have her best actress win pair up with picture, directing, and screenplay (Diane Keaton last achieved this feat for “Annie Hall”).

In an Oscar season marked by controversy, “Anora” did not escape unscathed; the filmmakers came under fire on social media for choosing not to hire an intimacy coordinator. Madison said she was offered one, but turned it down to help her maintain authenticity in her role. — Briony Smith

Did Adrien Brody throw his gum to his girlfriend?

10:35 p.m.: On the way up to the stage to accept his award for best actor, Adrien Brody appeared to toss his chewed up gum, “Challengers” style, into the palm of his girlfriend, Georgina Chapman (it does not appear that she caught it). Romantic or disgusting? I’ll let the viewer decide. — Richie Assaly

Sean Baker wins third Oscar of the night, taking home best director for ‘Anora’

10:30 p.m.: Sean Baker took home his third Oscar for “Anora,” a best director trophy joining his wins for best original screenplay and best editing.

He spent his third time onstage making an impassioned plea for film fans to return to the movie theatre. “It’s up to us to support them,” he said.

“And filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen,” he said. “I know I will.” Baker also thanked his distributor, Neon, for giving his movie a long run in theatres.

He urged parents to bring their kids to the movies, creating a new generation of cinema fans; Baker also dedicated the award to his own mother, who introduced him to cinema when he was five. Today is her birthday. — Briony Smith

Adrien Brody wins best actor for ‘The Brutalist’

10:20 p.m.: Adrien Brody triumphed in the hotly contested best actor race, taking home the prize for his work in ‘The Brutalist.’ 

Cillian Murphy presented him with the award. “They’re already counting me down!” Brody exclaimed. He opened his speech by giving thanks for the “tremendous outpouring of love I have felt from this world …I feel so fortunate. Acting is a very fragile profession; it looks very glamorous … but the one thing I have gained in the privilege of coming back here is to have some perspective …It can all go away. What makes this night most special is the awareness of that.” (The speech is one zillion words longer, making it almost as long as ‘The Brutalist’ itself. They did not, however, deploy John Lithgow, despite being sorely needed.)

He also thanked his partner, designer Georgina Chapman, the Marchesa founder and ex-Mrs. Weinstein, along with a last-minute shout-out to the real-life person his “Brutalist” character was based on.

Brody won his first Oscar for “The Pianist” in 2002; he was the youngest ever winner of the award, a record he maintains to this day. (If the other frontrunner, Timothee Chalamet, had won, he would have unseated him.)

This brings the win tally for ‘The Brualist’ to three for the night.

Oprah and Whoopi pay tribute to the late Quincy Jones

10:15 p.m. Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg took the stage to massive cheers as they paid tribute to one of pop culture’s most prolific figures: Quincy Jones.

“When we talk about Black excellence, we’re talking about Quincy,” Goldberg said. In 1967, Jones was the first Black composer nominated for best original song. Jones was also nominated that year for best score. He received seven noms over the course of his life. (He also, Winfrey said, discovered her for “The Color Purple.”)

Queen Latifah then emerged in a billowing silver gown to perform “Ease on Down the Road” from “The Wiz,” although she was woefully flat. — Briony Smith

Conan O’Brien takes subtle shot at Donald Trump

10:05 p.m.: Though he had mostly avoided America’s fraught political situation, O’Brien managed to slip in a biting criticism of President Trump, who in recent weeks has been accused of capitulating to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.

“‘Anora’ is having a good night,” O’Brien quipped, referencing the film about a stripper who marries the son of a Russian oligarch. “Americans are finally excited to see someone stand up to a powerful Russian.” – Richie Assaly

‘The Brutalist’ wins best score

10:10 p.m.: ‘The Brutalist’ took home its second win of the night as composer Daniel Blumberg became a first-time Oscar winner. Shouts of “Daniel!” echoed throughout the auditorium. “I’ve been an artist for 20 years, since i was a teenager, and when I met (‘The Brualist’ director) Brady (Corbet), I met my artistic soulmate,” he said. “Thank you, Brady, I love you.”

He might have been cut off by the orchestra but, thankfully, he did not receive the stare of death from John Lithgow — Briony Smith

‘I’m Still Here’ wins best international feature film

10:02 p.m.: Brazil took the prize for best international feature film, as “I’m Still Here” became the first Brazilian film to win this category. Producer Rodrigo Teixeira shared the award with Maria Carlota Bruno. He shouted out director Walter Salles.

Star Fernanda Torres is nominated for best actress in a leading role; her campaign gathered some steam when she was a surprise winner at the Golden Globes. — Briony Smith

‘The Brutalist’ wins for cinematography

10 p.m.: “The Brutalist” – Brady Corbet’s epic, three-hour and 30-minute period drama that tells the story of visionary architect László Tóth (Adrien Brody), who immigrates to America to rebuild his life – took home its first Oscar of the night for cinematography.

“Thank you to Brady for trusting me,” cinematographer Lol Crawley said in his acceptance speech. – Richie Assaly

Double Oscar winner Gene Hackman and other legends eulogized

9:55 p.m.: The In Memoriam segment was especially sombre this year, given the deaths of so many towering figures of the film world. Forgoing the usual pop star providing oft-cornball accompaniment, the orchestra instead played the extremely mournful “Lacrimosa” from Mozart’s “Requiem.”

Morgan Freeman kicked off the elegies by paying tribute to double Oscar winner Gene Hackman. “He won two Oscars but, more importantly, he won the hearts of people all over the world,” Freeman said. Hackman didn’t think much about leaving a legacy, he said, but, rather, he “hoped people will remember me as someone who tried to do good work.”

The In Memoriam segment also honoured other legends who died this year, including actors Maggie Smith, Gena Rowlands, James Earl Jones, Anouk Aimee, Dabney Coleman, Bob Newhart and Kris Kristofferson. Character greats like Teri Garr, Joan Plowright, Donald Sutherland and Shelley Duvall also got shoutouts, along with Louis Gossett, Jr., who was the first Black actor to win a supporting Oscar for his truly legendary turn as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in “An Officer and a Gentleman.”

David Lynch received a prominent tribute as well. — Briony Smith

‘I’m Not a Robot’ wins for live-action short

9:40 p.m. Sterling K. Brown and Ana de Armas presented ‘I’m Not A Robot’ with the Oscar for live action short.

It’s the first Oscar for winners Victoria Warmerdam and Trent. Warmerdam joked, “I’m not having your babies because of this award,” throwing back to Kieran Culkin’s baby bet with his wife. “But you always have my back. I don’t say it enough, but I love you.” — Briony Smith

‘Dune: Part Two’ wins two technical awards

9:30 p.m.: Miles Teller and Miley Cyrus presented ‘Dune: Part Two’ with the Oscar for best sound.

Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill boast many Oscar nominations and wins between them. (None of them were, however, able to correctly pronounce director Denis Villeneuve’s name, despite calling him “the best director you could ever work with,” mangling it several times during shout-outs.)

Moments later, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot presented the Oscar for best visual effects to Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe and Gerd Nefzer for “Dune: Part 2,” marking the film’s second Oscar win.

The sci-fi movie was nominated for a mere five Oscars, with many speculating that its spring release date contributed to it being shut out of some big-ticket categories. — Briony Smith, Joshua Chong

L.A. firefighters receive standing ovation

9:27 p.m.: A group of Los Angeles area firefighters received a standing ovation after they were introduced by host Conan O’Brien. The Grammy Awards did a similar acknowledgement for first responders last month.

The firefighters onstage delivered a series of firefighting related jokes, taking aim at “Joker 2,” Timothée Chalamet (supposedly for singing so well he almost lost he part of Bob Dylan) and O’Brien himself. — Joshua Chong

‘No Other Land’ wins best documentary feature

9:25 p.m.: The filmmakers behind “No Other Land” received a standing ovation after receiving the award for best documentary feature.

The harrowing film tells the story of Israel’s systemic demolition of Palestinian homes in Masafer Yatta, a collection of villages in the occupied West Bank. But despite receiving critical acclaim — the film currently has a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes — the documentary was not able to secure a North American distributor, forcing the filmmakers to release the film independently.

Palestinian director Basel Adra and Israeli director Yuval Abraham gave moving speeches about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Adra called on the world to “take serious action” to “stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.” He also said he doesn’t want his newborn child to grow up in the same conditions that he did.

Abraham gave an impassioned speech calling on the U.S. government to stop blocking a political solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“Can’t you see that we are intertwined?” Abraham asked. “That my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly safe and free? There is no other way.” – Richie Assaly

Conan O’Brien takes a shot at Drake

9:20 p.m.: After returning from commercial break, host Conan O’Brien took a saucy jab at the embattled Toronto rapper Drake: “We’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile,” O’Brien joked, making reference to the Lamar diss track “Not Like Us,” which recently took home five Grammys. Lamar also performed the song during the Super Bowl halftime show. 

“Don’t worry, I’m lawyered up,” O’Brien added following big laughs. — Richie Assaly

‘The Only Girl in the Orchestra’ wins best documentary short

9:15 p.m.: Samuel L. Jackson and Selena Gomez’s announcement of the Oscar win for “The Only Girl in the Orchestra” was met with wild shrieks of joy from the audience. The film featured an all-women team, many of whom were in attendance.

Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington took home the Oscar; O’Brien shouted out art as “giving meaning to the chaos.” This was the first Oscar nomination and win for the pair. –Briony Smith

No film to likely sweep this Oscars

9:10 p.m.: This is shaping up to be a spread-the-wealth Academy Awards. We’re more than 10 awards in and no film has emerged as a leading contender. “Wicked,” “Emilia Pérez” and “Anora” have each received two awards.

Last year, “Oppenheimer” earned a total of seven wins. We aren’t likely to see a sweep like that this year. — Joshua Chong

‘Emilia Pérez’ takes home award for best original song

9:07 p.m.: A spritely Mick Jagger received a standing ovation as he appeared on the stage before presenting the award for best original score.

The award went to Camille, Clément Ducol and Jacques Audiard for their song “El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez.” Camille talked of the role that “music and art can play, and continue to play as a force of good and progress in the world” in her acceptance speech. As the speech wrapped up, Camille and Ducol, who are married, performed a very cringey rendition of the song.

Tough news for Diane Warren, who has now been nominated 16 times for best original song – including eight consecutive nominations between 2018 and 2025 – but has never won. – Richie Assaly

‘Wicked’ takes the Oscar for best production design

9:00 p.m.: Ben Stiller did a fun bit of physical comedy, grappling with a “malfunctioning” rising and falling platform, before bestowing the best production design Oscar on production designer Nathan Crowley and set decorator Lee Sandales for ‘Wicked.’

“You took us over the rainbow,” Sandales said, honouring his director, Jon M. Chu.

This brings the total number of Oscars for ‘Wicked’ to two; the film also took home the costume Oscar. — Briony Smith

Zoe Saldaña of ‘Emilia Pérez’ wins for best supporting actress

8:50 p.m.: Da’Vine Joy Randolph presented the Oscar for best supporting actress to Zoe Saldaña for the musical comedy “Emilia Pérez,” in which she plays a cunning lawyer who helps a cartel leader disappear and transition into a woman.

“I’m floored by this honour,” said Saldaña, who also won the BAFTA and Golden Globe this season. “Thank you to the academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita.” She also described herself as “the proud child of immigrant parents.”

Saldaña’s win came despite a wave of controversy against her film, which entered the Oscars as the most nominated work and a best picture frontrunner. Its fortunes tumbled after a Canadian journalist uncovered a series of racist and offensive tweets posted by the movie’s star, Karla Sofía Gascón. — Joshua Chong

‘Anora’ wins for best editing

8:45 p.m.: Actor Daryl Hannah presented the Oscar for best editing to Sean Baker for “Anora.”

This was Baker’s second win of the night, bringing “Anora’’’s win tally to two; he also won for best original screenplay. Baker, who also directed the movie, joked that he saved the film in the edit: “That director should never work again.” He singled out for thanks the only three people he allows in the editing room, “for emotional support and creative support”: his wife and producer, Vancouverite Samantha Quan; fellow producer Alex Coco; and his dog, Bunsen.

Pssssst: this category is also often a strong indicator of the best picture winner. — Briony Smith

Oscars break with musical tradition 

8:38 p.m. The Oscars are breaking with tradition this year. We won’t get to hear each of the best original song nominees. Instead, we’re getting a collection of medleys and other popular songs. The night began with a “Wizard of Oz”-themed medley and also included a James Bond medley featuring Thai rapper Lisa along with Doja Cat and Raye, the trio behind the hit song “Born Again.” 

I’m not sure this new format is working for me. The opening medley, featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, was spectacular. But Conan O’Brien’s musical number at the end of his monologue was awkward, to say the least, while the Bond segment was a total misfire. — Joshua Chong

Artists show support for Palestine and Ukraine

8:30 p.m.: Guy Pearce, who is nominated for best supporting actor for his role in the “The Brutalist,” expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people on Sunday, wearing a small pin that depicted a white enamel dove embossed with “Free Palestine.”

It’s not the first time Pearce has made a political statement at high profile movie events. At the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, he wore a bracelet in Palestinian colours. At the Golden Globes earlier this year, Pearce wore an “Artists4Ceasefire” pin.

Meanwhile, “Conclave” writer Peter Straughan wore a blue and yellow pin showing his support for Ukraine. Straughan took home the Oscar for best adapted screenplay. Later in the ceremony, actor Daryl Hannah, who presented the award for best film editing, opened her presentation by saying “Slava Ukraini,” the battle cry of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – Richie Assaly

‘The Substance’ takes home its first Oscar of the night for best makeup and hairstyling

8:25 p.m.: Scarlett Johansson and June Squibb presented the Oscar for best makeup and hairstyling to “The Substance,” marking the bloody French horror-comedy’s first win of the night. (Squibb got one of the biggest laughs of the evening when she joked that she was actually being played by Bill Skarsgard and that a full 50 per cent of her public appearances are provided by Skarsgaard.)

The Oscaar went to Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli.’ Persin used his speech time to shout out the joy of using practical effects, something “The Substance” made ample use of in illustrating Elisabeth Sparkle’s descent into blobby decrepitude. He also thanked star Demi Moore for her patience in the makeup chair. — Briony Smith

‘Conclave’ wins best adapted screenplay

8:20 p.m. Amy Poehler presented the Oscar for best adapted screenplay to Peter Straughan for “Conclave,” the thrilling drama based on Robert Harris’s 2016 novel of the same name. The fictional story takes place after the death of a pope and follows the closed-door process of selecting his successor. The movie had one of the largest social media followings this awards season, bolstered by the parallels with the ongoing health issues of the real-life Pope Francis and speculation about who would be next in line for the papacy. — Joshua Chong

‘Anora’ wins best original screenplay

8:12 p.m.: Amy Poehler presented the Oscar for best original screenplay to Sean Baker for ‘Anora.’ This is his first Oscar win. ‘Anora’ is nominated in five other categories as well.

“You elevated everything I wrote and made me look good,” he told Mikey Madison and the rest of the cast.

He also thanked the sex-worker community for sharing their life stories with him over the years. “I share this with you,” he said. – Briony Smith

Stratford Festival costume designer Paul Tazewell wins Oscar for ‘Wicked’

8:05 p.m.: Lily-Rose Depp, John Lithgow, Bowen Yang, Connie Nielsen and Elle Fanning presented the award for best costume design to Paul Tazewell for “Wicked.” This is Tazewell’s first Academy Award, though he was previously nominated for “West Side Story” in 2022. He’s the first Black man to receive this award.

Tazewell, a familiar face on Broadway, has been nominated for six Tony Awards, winning once in 2016 for his work on “Hamilton.”

Canadian theatre audiences will also be familiar with his work. Tazewell has designed costumes for the Stratford Festival, including for “The Tempest” and “Caesar and Cleopatra,” both starring Christopher Plummer. – Joshua Chong

Isabella Rossellini pays tribute to David Lynch

7:50 p.m.: Isabella Rossellini, who earned her first ever Oscar nomination for “Conclave,” appeared on the red carpet in a blue velvet dress – a reference to the 1987 film “Blue Velvet,” which she starred in – as an ode to the late filmmaker David Lynch, who died in January. – Richie Assaly

‘In the Shadow of the Cypress’ wins best animated short film

7:48 p.m.: Iranian short ‘In the Shadow of the Cypress’ – directed by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani – took home the trophy for best animated short film. The winners’ plane landed in L.A. just three hours prior to the ceremony; they almost didn’t make it due to last-minute visa issues.

They dedicated it to all those fighting both inner and outer battles, along with their fellow Iranians “and their suffering.” – Briony Smith

‘Flow’ wins best animated feature film

7:45 p.m.: Actors Andrew Garfield and Goldie Hawn presented the award for best animated feature film to “Flow,” a small budget, wordless movie about a displaced cat who finds refuge on a boat with various other animals. The Latvian film is also nominated tonight for best international feature. — Joshua Chong

Our picks for the best dressed at the 2025 Oscars

Ariana Grande, Demi Moore and Selena Gomez made our list of the top fashion looks.

Halle Berry exchanges a kiss with Adrien Brody, 22 years after infamous Oscars kiss

7:40 p.m.: Back in 2003, Adrien Brody shocked the Oscars audience after kissing Halle Berry for several seconds before accepting the trophy for best actor for “The Pianist.” On the red carpet on Sunday, Berry — who is among the presenters during tonight’s ceremony — took the opportunity to “pay back” Brody, who is up for best actor again this year for his role in “The Brutalist.”

“That was one hell of a night for him and for me as well. To be a part of his moment … tonight I had to pay him back,” Berry joked. “I’ve seen him out at parties, but this is the first time since that night that I’ve seen him on the red carpet somewhere. He’s nominated this year. He deserved that.” – Richie Assaly

Kieran Culkin wins his first Oscar for ‘A Real Pain’

7:35 p.m.: Robert Downey, Jr. awarded the best supporting actor Oscar to season frontrunner Kieran Culkin for his turn in “A Real Pain.” Culkin said that he felt like this was never his trajectory and once again thanked his multi-decade manager, along with writer-director and co-star Jesse Eisenberg, plus his mom and his wife.

About a year ago, during his Emmys acceptance speech, Culkin joked about his wife Jazz having a third kid if he won for “Succession,” which he did. He revealed during his Oscars speech that she told him she’d have a fourth kid if he won an Oscar. Well, looks like another li’l Culkin is on the way! – Briony Smith

O’Brien launches into a very weird musical number

7:32 p.m.: After a very solemn segment acknowledging the Los Angeles wildfires, host Conan O’Brien launched into a very weird, time-wasting musical number about … not wasting time. This is the second musical performance in half an hour. Is this the Tony Awards? – Joshua Chong

Villeneuve and Amazon were among O’Brien’s targets

7:30 p.m.: Canadian treasure Denis Villeneuve, director of “Dune,” also came in for some ribbing from O’Brien for no-cellphones-on-set policy, as O’Brien joked that its stars were all Googling what “Dune: Part Two” is actually about.

A running gag about Amazon’s takeover of the James Bond franchise ran lon, and then thankfully wrapped as O’Brien beseeched participants to keep speeches short, threatening them with a cutaway to “John Lithgow, looking not angry, but slightly disappointed.” And if you still won’t get off the stage, he will show their first headshots (Guy Pearce’s epic peach-fuzz pic got some precious airtime, along with Timothee Chalamet’s in utero shot). O’Brien immediately suffered Lithgow’s wrath for showing his own childhood school photo.

Adam Sandler popped up in the audience in a signature Adam Sandler fit, described as looking like a “man playing video poker at 2 a.m.,” before wandering the aisles, inviting guests to join him for a game of basketball.

O’Brien the took a sober tone, reminding everyone that the awards also shine a light on the craftspeople and technicians who work tirelessly on films and throwing it to a fundraiser for L.A. fire relief efforts. – Briony Smith

O’Brien throws some softballs

7:25 p.m.: After the auditorium-shaking rendition of “Defying Gravity,” first-time host Conan O’Brien kicked off the opening monologue by emerging out of Demi Moore’s “Substance”-packed body (and then retrieving an errant loafer). 

He started off by acknowledging best actress frontrunner Moore before joking, “I know what you’re thinking: did Conan not have work done? He looks his age!”

He also referenced the new earlier start time for the ceremony, bewailing that it now starts at 4 in the afternoon L.A. time, along with poking fun at Netflix’s recent price increase (it certainly FEELS like 18 price increases, Conan!) and the college setting of “Wicked,” where all the students are approximately 35 years old.

His line about “Conclave,” “a movie about the Catholic church, but don’t worry,” elicited a few nervous titters after some of the safer jokes. He then segued into the time-worn, vaguely racist tradition of making fun of names by saying if Ralph Fiennes loses, we can call him Ralph (rather than the actual pronunciation, Rafe – now you know!).

O’Brien also took a poke at Karla Sofia Gascon, at the ceremony after Netflix agreed to fund her trip to the Oscars. He softballed a joke about switching his name for past multi-year host Jimmy Kimmel if she starts tweeting again. – Briony Smith

‘Wicked’ stars take the stage for show-stopping medley

7:10 p.m.: Ariana Grande, the pop superstar and “Wicked” star nominated tonight for best supporting actress, opened the ceremony with a stirring rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz.” Grande had a red slipper on the back of her dress, a subtle nod to the classic movie.

Her co-star Cynthia Erivo, nominated for best actress, then followed it up with an equally soulful performance of “Home” from “The Wiz,” another “Wizard of Oz”-inspired musical.

Then the moment everyone was waiting for: the pair, together onstage, launched into the show-stopping number “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked.”

This was a deeply moving opening to the award show that hit all the right notes. It was a stupendous showcase for both Grande and Erivo, who both earned a standing ovation and had tears in their eyes by the end. How lovely to see these two superstars return to their Broadway roots. – Joshua Chong

Ceremony begins with a tribute to Los Angeles 

7:05 p.m.: The 97th Academy Awards are now underway. Sunday night’s awards ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, began with a “We Love LA” montage paying tribute to the city, which was just ravaged by a series of devastating wildfires in January. The montage included clips from various Hollywood films set in Los Angeles, from “Barbie” to “The Big Lebowski.” – Joshua Chong

What’s on the menu at tonight’s ceremony?

6:45 p.m.: Based on the pictures emerging from inside the Dolby Theatre, the stars are being offered impossibly tiny cauliflower tacos and small bags of popcorn. Hopefully your favourite movie star ate before the ceremony. — Richie Assaly

Elle Fanning embodies elegance in Sarah Burton

6:40 p.m. At what is somehow her first Oscars (doesn’t that seem impossible?), Fanning continued in her role as a fashion north star in a 1950s-style toile gown by Sarah Burton — the former Alexander McQueen creative director’s debut design since taking the reins at Givenchy. It was an elegant choice, polished off by an archival Cartier necklace, for the “A Complete Unknown” star. — Jillian Vieira

Canadian to watch out for 

6:35 p.m.: There are several Canadians in the running at this year’s Oscars. The Quebec filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is nominated for best picture for “Dune: Part Two,” alongside his wife, producer Tanya Lapointe. The pair are up against another Canadian in the category, Samantha Quan, one of the producers of “Anora,” which was written and directed by her husband, the American filmmaker Sean Baker. – Joshua Chong

The pre-show begins

6:30 p.m.:The Academy Awards pre-show has begun. This year’s edition is being hosted by Julianne Hough and Jesse Palmer.

What are the major storylines to watch tonight?

Cynthia Erivo goes full drama in custom Louis Vuitton

6:35 p.m.: On a night where she could become the youngest EGOT of all time, Erivo also became an early best dressed favourite in custom Louis Vuitton. A nod to “Oz, green and Old Hollywood” as the “Wicked” actress explained, the deep emerald dress made use of sculptural, witchy-inspired elements to wrap up the musical’s awards tour. — Jillian Vieira

Ariana Grande makes a major red carpet statement

6:10 p.m.: The “Wicked” star has gone mostly unrewarded this awards season, which makes this big swing from Schiaparelli’s Spring 2025 couture collection all the more satisfying. Taking a page from her equal parts sweet and sharp film character, Grande wore a barely blush gown punctuated by a clam basque and waves of crystal-flecked tulle. — Jillian Vieira

How can I watch the Oscars?

In Canada, the Oscars ceremony will be broadcast live on CTV, starting at 7 p.m. ET. Red carpet coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony can also be streamed on CTV’s website or app. 

The live broadcast is expected to last three-and-a-half hours.

Who is hosting the Oscars this year?

Comedian and former late night television host Conan O’Brien will host this year’s Oscars for the first time. 

In a press conference, O’Brien said hosting the Oscars is like “getting to drive a Ferrari” for the first time. He also 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.”

The last two ceremonies were hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who has hosted the Oscars a total of four times.

Which movies are nominated?

“Emilia Pérez,” the controversial Spanish-language musical crime film leads all film with 13 nominations. The American postwar epic “The Brutalist” and the musical fantasy “Wicked” both received ten nominations. 

All three films are up for best picture, a category rounded out by “Anora,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “I’m Still Here,” “Nickel Boys” and “The Substance.”

It’s the most open best picture field in recent memory, with a lot of mixed signals to parse from various awards bodies and plenty of controversy clouding the chances of potential contenders. 

Here are our critic’s predictions for all the major categories.

Will there be musical performances this year?

This year’s ceremony will break with the tradition of featuring performances of the Best Original Song nominees. Instead, organizers have promised a number of “show stopping performances” from “Wicked” stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo — the duo is expected to open the show — Lisa of Blackpink, Queen Latifah, Raye and Doja Cat. 

Who will present the awards?

The academy has shared an extensive list of presenters, including Dave Bautista, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, Scarlett Johansson, Bowen Yang and Lily-Rose Depp.

Last year’s acting winners — Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph — will also take part in the ceremony. Earlier this year, the Oscars said it was planning to include the “Fab 5” segment, in which previous winners introduce this year’s nominees in their respective categories. However, Variety reports that the segment will not be used for acting categories this year, but may happen in the best directors category.

Nick Offerman will serve as the show’s announcer.

The biggest snubs and misses from Oscars past

No matter who or what wins on Oscar night on Sunday, there are sure to be dissenters. Not everyone was thrilled last year, for instance, when Emma Stone beat out favourite Lily Gladstone for best actress.

In that spirit, here are some Academy Awards snubs that our staffers still can’t shake and one — maybe — still to come.

With files from the Associated Press.