From sausage fingers to severed fingers and with oddball indies in contention alongside billion-pound blockbusters, Hollywood’s big night is here and this year there are cinematic treats catering to pretty much everyone’s tastes.
While more box office hits like Avatar and Top Gun have made the shortlist than usual, they aren’t the ones everyone’s talking about on the sand-coloured carpet in rainy Los Angeles.
Instead, Ireland’s hopes rest with a twisted take on the break-up of a male friendship.
The brilliant The Banshees Of Inisherin reunites two of cinema’s finest in Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, and looks strong with its nine nominations.
Image: Banshees of Inisherin. Pic: Searchlight Pictures
Not that filmmaker Martin McDonagh is too bothered.
“I’m bad at public speaking, so I’m kind of half happy when we lose so I don’t have to go up there,” he told Sky News earlier this awards season.
“But no, it’s better to be in the mix than not to be in the mix.
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“So it’s weirdly both exciting and scary at the same time.”
Image: Brendan Gleeson, Kelly Condon and Colin Farrell
Image: Colin Farrell stars in The Banshees Of Inisherin. Pic: Jonathan Hession/Searchlight Pictures via AP
It’s a year for first-timers with 16 of the 20 acting contenders having never been Oscar nominated before – including Ireland’s Paul Mescal and Britain’s Bill Nighy – with the latter embracing the stiff upper lip stereotype.
“I think it probably is regrettable and psychiatrists would probably say its deeply unhealthy,” Nighy said.
“But there’s also something kind of heroic about it and it’s funny that you weren’t allowed to express anything really.”
As for his chances though? Critics claim it’s a “Butler vs Brendan” showdown.
Both gave transformative performances, with Austin Butler impressing as the king in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis, while Brendan Fraser is back after a spell away and has been visibly emotional at the strong reception he has received for his part in The Whale.
“The award stuff, it’s new to me, but we’re all frothy and happy and giddy and happy for this, with fingers crossed and best fondest hopes for success,” Fraser told Sky News.
“But who knows what the result is going to be.
“But I’m confident – I think that we’ve got a shot at making it to the finish line.”
Image: Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Pic: Annette Brown/ Marvel Studios
Angela Bassett is the one to beat in the supporting actress category, where she could well provide Marvel’s first acting win for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
But Jamie Lee Curtis just might pip her to the prize on Sunday for her part in Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Image: Cate Blanchett in Tar: Pic: Florian Hoffmeister/Focus Features
And whether Michelle Yeoh can beat Cate Blanchett for best actress is a tough call, as it seems written in the stars – an awards prophecy if you like – that Blanchett’s Academy Award-winning films are released every nine years – she won for The Aviator in 2004 and Blue Jasmine in 2013 – so Tar (released last year) will probably deliver her a third.
Image: Ke Huy Quan. Pic: Dana Pleasant/Invision/AP
And Ke Huy Quan, a supporting actor nominee who those of a certain age will remember from The Goonies, says he’s winning regardless.
Image: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Pic: A24
Quan, who is nominated for his part in Everything Everywhere All At Once, told Sky News: “Honestly, when I did this movie, when I decided to get back into acting, I didn’t think any of this was possible.
“I just wanted a job. I just wanted to be in front of the camera again.
“All these nominations are so, so great. It’s already a win for me.”
Image: Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh and James Hong in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Pic: A24
When it comes to the big prize, don’t rule out All Quiet On The Western Front causing a noisy upset for best picture – after all, that’s what happened at this year’s BAFTAs.
But the film to keep your eye on is Everything Everywhere All At Once – the unlikely indie and multiverse-jumping sci-fi hit leading the pack with 11 nominations.
And if it doesn’t end up dominating the night, fans can take comfort that out there in another dimension, it will most definitely take home every award, somewhere at multiple times.
You can watch the Academy Awards on Sunday 12 March from 11pm exclusively on Sky News and Sky Showcase.And for everything you need to know ahead of the ceremony, don’t miss our special Backstage podcast, out now, plus look out for our special episode on the winners from Monday morning.
An American Idol TV executive and her husband have been found dead in their LA home.
Robin Kaye was a music supervisor on the long-running reality TV series.
The bodies of the 70-year-old and her husband Thomas were discovered after officers conducted a welfare check at their home.
Both had died from gunshot wounds.
Image: Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas. Pic: Facebook
Detectives say Raymond Boodarian has been arrested in connection with their deaths.
It is alleged the 22-year-old had burgled their property while they were away on 10 July – killing the couple upon their return.
According to Los Angeles Police, there were “no signs of forced entry or trouble” at the property.
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Ms Kaye was an industry veteran – and had previously worked on shows including Lip Sync Battle and The Singing Bee, as well as several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
In a statement, an American Idol spokesperson said: “Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her.
“Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
Huge steel fences have been erected to prevent ticketless fans from watching the Oasis reunion tour in Manchester.
Liam and Noel Gallagher will resume their sold-out run of shows – their first since 2009 – with a performance at Heaton Park tonight, and two more on Saturday and Sunday.
While tens of thousands bought tickets for Oasis’sfirst two shows last weekend, crowds gathered to glimpse the large screens above the stage in the distance – in an area dubbed “Gallagher Hill” by some on social media.
Image: People walk past a temporary security fence erected ahead of concerts by Oasis in Heaton Park on 1 July. Reuters file pic
Manchester City Council has now said more steel fences have been erected around parts of the park to prevent ticketless fans from watching the gigs, and to protect nature in the park.
“After taking stock of how the first two nights went, additional measures have now been deemed necessary and will be in place for the next three concerts,” it said.
“The erection of the fencing has a dual purpose – both to protect the environment from further damage and to dissuade people from gathering there.
“The necessary measure means the concert will no longer be visible from this area.”
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The fences will cover a large area of the hill within the park’s cattle field, which is being developed as a new woodland area with around 300 young trees planted.
The council added that there would be no facilities for people without a ticket, and said the event area is “double-walled with solid high security fencing all the way round”.
More than 2,000 event security staff and police officers will also be on duty around the site “to ensure both the safety and wellbeing of ticket-holders and that only those who have tickets access the concert”, it said.
John Hacking, the council’s executive member for employment, skills and leisure, also said in a statement that “unfortunately our hand has been forced in having to put these additional measures in place”.
He added: “Our advice to music fans who don’t have tickets for the concerts is to head into the city centre instead.
“The whole city is going all out to celebrate and help everyone have a good time.
“We’ve got some fantastic things going on with a real party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy, whether they’ve got tickets for the Oasis gigs or not.”
MasterChef presenter John Torode will no longer work on the show after an allegation he used an “extremely offensive racist term” was upheld, the BBC has said.
His co-host Gregg Wallace was also sacked last week after claims of inappropriate behaviour.
On Monday, Torode said an allegation he used racist language was upheld in a report into the behaviour of Wallace. The report found more than half of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated.
Torode, 59, insisted he had “absolutely no recollection” of the alleged incident involving him and he “did not believe that it happened,” adding “racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment”.
Image: John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic: PA
In a statement on Tuesday, a BBCspokesperson said the allegation “involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace”.
The claim was “investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin”, they added.
“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously,” the spokesperson said.
“We will not tolerate racist language of any kind… we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken.
“John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”
Australian-born Torode started presenting MasterChef alongside Wallace, 60, in 2005.
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Why Gregg Wallace says he ‘will not go quietly’
A statement from Banijay UK said it “takes this matter incredibly seriously” and Lewis Silkin “substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018”.
“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint,” the TV production company added.
“Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”
Earlier, as the BBC released its annual report, its director-general Tim Davie addressed MasterChef’s future, saying it can survive as it is “much bigger than individuals”.
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BBC annual report findings
Speaking to BBC News after Torode was sacked, Mr Davie said a decision is yet to be taken over whether an unseen MasterChef series – filmed with both Wallace and Torode last year – will be aired.
“It’s a difficult one because… those amateur chefs gave a lot to take part – it means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show,” he added.
“I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision, and we’ll communicate that in due course.”
Mr Davie refused to say what the “seriously racist term” Torode was alleged to have used but said: “I certainly think we’ve drawn a line in the sand.”
In 2022, Torode was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to food and charity.