It’s the starriest night in Hollywood when the world’s most famous actors gather to celebrate the best movies and performances of the previous year.

A-list celebrities including Demi Moore, Timothee Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Zoe Saldana and Kieran Culkin are set to attend this year’s Academy Awards.

The race has been utterly chaotic and unpredictable so far – so what can we expect from the night itself?

When and where?

The 97th Academy Awards will be held today at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The red carpet will begin at 3.30pm Eastern time, which is 8.30pm UK time, followed by the ceremony at 7pm Eastern time, which is midnight in the UK. It will be a late night for the UK’s movie lovers, but worth staying up to see who takes home a gong on the night.

Traditionally the last awards ceremony of awards season, this year’s Oscar ceremony follows the devastating wildfires which tore through Los Angeles in early January.

The Academy twice extended their voting period, postponing the announcement of nominations, but remained steadfast on the 2 March ceremony, arguing that the show must go on as a symbol of resilience.

Accordingly, this year’s Oscar theme is “celebration of connection”, and will aim to unite the global film community following scenes of destruction so close to home.

Who’s hosting?

Comedian and late-night show host Conan O’Brien will present for the first time.

Previous stints writing for The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live stand him in good stead, and while he’s unlikely to roast any of the esteemed A-listers in attendance, his irreverential style offers scope for some potential off-the-cuff fun.

He follows in the footsteps of Jimmy Kimmel, three-for-one trio Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes and several years of hostless Oscar ceremonies.

Who’s performing?

Usually, the best original song nominees perform on the night – but not this year.

The Academy have said they wanted to “move away from live performances”, and instead focus on songwriters.

Some wonder if last year’s Kenergy-filled I’m Just Ken performance – fronted by Ryan Gosling, and so good it literally broke best actress winner Emma Stone‘s dress – was simply impossible to follow.

Others have suggested criticism around the clunkiness of some Emilia Perez lyrics (two of the narco-musical’s numbers have made it into the category) may have led to a performance re-think.

Plus, the songs from Wicked weren’t even eligible for best song because they were inherited from the Broadway musical and so not original to the movie.

But while there’s a little confusion around the choice, there’s one thing everyone agrees on: It would be criminal to have Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the house and not having them belt out a number – so they’re scheduled to sing on the night.

Other performances include singer Doja Cat, Blackpink and White Lotus star Lisa, rapper Queen Latifah and British singer Raye.

There will also be a musical tribute to late producer and composer Quincy Jones and a special appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

What awards are given out?

There are 23 categories to award during the three-hour ceremony (this will go up to 24 next year when a casting category is added).

No wonder winners are encouraged to keep to 45 seconds in their acceptance speeches, after which point music is played to subtly encourage them off-stage.

Here’s the full list of nominations.

Who’s presenting?

The latest stars to be announced as 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 four best actor category winners Robert Downey Jr, Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Emma Stone will return to hand out awards.

Previously announced presenters include 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 do we reckon will win?

It’s one of the most hotly contested competitions in years, and clear front-runners few and far between.

Many feel the best supporting actor categories are the closest to being locked in, with Kieran Culkin the favourite to take best supporting actor and Zoe Saldana the most likely Emilia Perez star to take home a gong following the movie’s self-destructing campaign.

Best actor is largely seen as a fight between Adrien Brody for The Brutalist (it would be his second Oscar win) and Ralph Fiennes for his turn as an affable cardinal in Conclave.

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

Best director could well be handed to Anora’s Sean Baker or The Brutalist’s Brady Corbet, while the most prestigious gong of the night – best picture – is expected to go to Anora or Conclave.

If you want to remind yourself of the 10 movies up for best picture, and where to watch them, take a read here.

Any surprises on the cards?

In best actor, Timothee Chalamet, in his ongoing pursuit for greatness, could swoop in and take the prize over Brody and Fiennes. At 29 he’d become the youngest ever winner.

In best actress, Brazilian star Fernanda Torres – despite being previously pretty much unknown in the US – has become the name on everyone’s lips for her lead role in I’m Still Here.

With many voters not watching the film until late in the day, it’s likely to have been fresh in their minds come voting week, and as a word-of-mouth hit might have swayed voters in their final hours.

If Torres were to win, she’d achieve a feat that evaded her mother, actress Fernanda Montenegro, who was up for the prize in 1999. Montenegro was pipped to the post by Gwyneth Paltrow, who famously sobbed her way through her emotional acceptance speech.

I’m Still Here could cause an upset in best picture too. Up for best international feature, best actress and best picture, if it took the latter prize – traditionally the biggest win of the night – it would be a Parasite-like surprise coup for the foreign language film, and only the second time a non-English language film has ever taken the gong following Bong Joon-ho’s shock win.

Sky News will be liveblogging the whole night – from red carpet arrivals through to the ceremony – and will follow up with a hosted livestream from the Vanity Fair and Sir Elton John after-party red carpets, catching the Oscar-winners as they party the night away.

The family of pop star Liam Payne has criticised the media for causing “indescribable, lasting damage” in the wake of his death.

The singer, 31, died in October last year, after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

He was honoured with a video montage, played at Saturday night’s BRIT awards, celebrating his legacy – with clips including his time on X-Factor and during his time with One Direction. The band won seven BRIT awards before they split in 2016.

In a statement, released to the media after the tribute was played, his family called the death an “unspeakable tragedy”.

The family also criticised the “attention and speculation” in the press that caused “indescribable, lasting damage on the family, particularly on Liam’s son, who is trying to process emotions which no seven-year-old should have to experience”.

It said the family accepted the Court of Appeal’s decision to drop all charges in relation to Payne’s death.

Charges were dropped against three defendants: Payne’s friend Roger Nores, who had accompanied him during his trip to Buenos Aires; Gilda Martin, the manager of the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel where Payne died; and Esteban Grassi, the hotel’s main receptionist.

Two others are still facing prosecution for allegedly supplying Payne with drugs. Supplying drugs in Argentina carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Toxicology tests revealed that before his death, he had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his body. A postmortem ruled his cause of death as “polytrauma” from multiple injuries and internal and external bleeding.

‘Beautiful’ Brits tribute

After the video aired, Payne’s former band member Louis Tomlinson thanked the BRIT Awards and said: “Beautiful tribute. Miss you always, brother x.”

Awards host Jack Whitehall introduced the tribute to the singer and said: “He achieved so much in the short time that he was on this earth, and was not only a supremely gifted musician but an incredibly kind soul who touched the lives of everyone he came into contact with.

“We have so many amazing memories with Liam here at The BRITs. So, tonight we celebrate his legacy and look back and remember, the remarkable Liam Payne.”

With the gory body horror The Substance and musicals Emilia Perez and Wicked competing for top Oscars, this marks the biggest year for both genres in over 50 years.

Sky News analysis last year found that top Oscar nominees were often lesser-known, artistic films rather than major box office hits. But the success of Barbie and Oppenheimer signalled a shift, which horror and musicals have continued this year, with The Substance and Wicked earning both critical and commercial success.

Horror films have received more Oscar nominations in 2025 than in any year since 1974, when The Exorcist became the first horror movie to be nominated for Best Picture. It remains the most successful horror film in Oscar history, winning awards for Sound and Screenplay.

Both years, saw horror films earn 10 nominations overall. In 1974, all 10 went to The Exorcist, with five in top categories.

This year, Nosferatu has received four nominations, though none in major categories, while The Substance has secured five, including three in major fields: Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Directing. This makes The Substance the most successful horror film at the Oscars since The Exorcist.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), whose members vote for Oscar nominations and winners, has made a concerted effort in recent years to expand its membership in response to concerns over a lack of diversity in nominations.

A younger, more globally diverse voting body may be driving horror’s increased recognition at the Oscars.

“With horror, traditionally there’s been an inherent barrier just based on the fact that some people can’t stomach the content or the simple intensity of horror films, no matter the level of quality. That has probably contributed historically to horror not being as widely recognised,” said Jordan Farley, film critic and author of the film-focused newsletter The Movie Wingman.

“I think that attitude is eroding, simply because the voting body is expanding to include a greater number of younger voters, more global voters and people raised on more extreme horror films,” he added.

The Substance, one of this year’s most celebrated horror films, has already dominated the awards season.

Lead actress Demi Moore has won multiple Best Actress awards, including at the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, and the Critics Choice Awards, solidifying its momentum ahead of the Oscars.

“It’s in times of uncertainty that horror films begin to reflect our anxieties,” said Dr. Steven Gerrard, a reader in film at Leeds Beckett University with a special interest in horror.

Coralie Fargeat, director of The Substance, told Sky News: “For me, this story expresses what it means to be a woman in our society in a very genuine way – the violence that exists at every level and stage of our lives. From childhood to old age, we face countless pressures, injunctions, judgments, and representations that make us feel that if we don’t fit the perfect fantasy or ideal that society has decided for us, then we don’t deserve to exist”.

The last time a horror film won an Oscar was in 2018 when Get Out won for Best Screenplay.

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“Get Out is really about race relations. It’s a blend of Frankenstein, The Island of Dr. Moreau and concerns around immigration policies,” said Dr Gerrard.

Return of the musical?

Musicals have also reached a milestone this year, receiving more Oscar nominations than in any year since 1969, when films like Oliver! and Funny Girl dominated the awards.

Musicals reached their peak at the Oscars in 1945, when synchronised sound was still relatively new in cinema, having only become widespread in the early 1930s.

Hollywood studios quickly recognised musicals as the perfect way to capitalise on this breakthrough, showcasing the full potential of sound in film. The genre thrived during the Second World War, as audiences sought uplifting escapism.

This year, Emilia Perez and Wicked have led the musical resurgence. Wicked has secured 10 nominations, including three in top categories (Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress).

Emilia Perez has gone even further, earning 13 nominations, including four in major categories (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Directing). This ties it with Chicago and Mary Poppins as the second most-nominated musical, trailing only La La Land.

However, Emilia Perez has faced criticism for its handling of key themes since its release. In recent weeks, its star, Karla Sofia Gascon, the first trans person to be nominated in an acting category, has come under scrutiny for past social media posts, raising questions about whether the backlash could affect the film’s standing in the awards race.

In 2017, La La Land became the most-nominated musical in Oscar history, earning 14 nominations, including four in major categories. In the years that followed, A Star Is Born (2019) received eight nominations, four in top categories, and won for Best Original Song.

The first adaptation of West Side Story (1961) remains the most successful musical in Oscar history, winning 10 awards, including three in major categories. Its second adaptation, released in 2021, earned seven nominations, including three in top categories, with Ariana DeBose winning Best Supporting Actress.

Chicago remains the most-nominated musical for top awards in recent history, receiving six in 2002 alongside 13 overall and winning six Oscars.

Unlike horror, which rarely gains Oscar recognition outside of a few standout films, musicals tend to fall in and out of fashion.

“There’s less of a barrier to entry than with horror. Some people just don’t have the stomach for horror films, whereas with musicals, you might not love them, but most people are willing to give them a chance,” said Mr Farley.

“There is a preconception that you have to have a very high skill ceiling to be in a musical. It’s a multi-discipline production. You have to be able to sing, you have to be able to dance as well as act. That’s not easy,” he added.

While musicals have seen waves of success over the decades, and horror has occasionally broken through, this year marks a big moment for both genres at the Oscars. Whether this signals a lasting revival for genre films or just a momentary resurgence remains to be seen.

Methodology

To analyse the representation of horror and musical films at the Oscars, we compiled two datasets: one for films in these genres and another for Oscar nominees and winners.

Using The Movie Database (TMDb) API, we retrieved a list of horror and musical films by filtering for movies tagged under these genres. This dataset covered films released between 1928 and 2024.

Separately, we built a database of Oscar nominees and winners from the first Academy Awards to the present (1928-2025). While we examined overall nominations, references to “top” or “prestigious” awards in this analysis specifically refer to Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture.

The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open-source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.