It’s the biggest night in the film calendar, full of Hollywood glamour, endless celebrities, and of course a whole haul of little gold men.
It’s been a year of two halves – with months-long industry strikes followed by the viral phenomenon that was Barbenheimer re-invigorating the movie world.
Image: The little gold men. Pic: Reuters
Now, as we approach the 96th Annual Academy Awards, all eyes are on the films and stars who could be taking home a prize. Here’s everything you can expect from the night.
When and where?
The Oscars – showbiz’s biggest night of the year – takes place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles tonight.
The red carpet kicks off at 7.30pm UK time followed by the celebrity-packed ceremony from 11pm UK time.
The whole event will be liveblogged here at Sky News – so you can follow every moment, from the run up to the red carpet, the stars arrival right up to the ceremony and into the Vanity Fair after party.
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The ceremony will air in the UK on ITV.
Is there a theme?
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This year, organisers say the show’s all about human connection, with a focus on emotion and creativity.
Image: Oscars red carpet is rolled out in Hollywood ahead of Sunday’s ceremony
They have promised “something special and beautiful” during the In Memoriam section, which will honour stars of the industry – both in front of and behind the camera – we have lost in the last year.
They also hinted at some unexpected guests on the night, advising fans to look out for “reunions, acknowledgements of the past and surprise cameos”.
Who’s hosting?
The ceremony’s hosted for the fourth time by late-night, US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
Image: Jimmy Kimmel at the 95th Academy Awards. Pic: Reuters/Carlos Barria
Academy Award bosses have described him as “relaxed and comfortable” in the role (as well he should be after three previous outings). They also said he gets involved with the whole process of the show, “working for months” and even helping choose presenters.
The 56-year-old previously hosted in 2017, 2018 and 2023 – so he should be prepped and ready for any unexpected events, having made it through 2017’s infamous La La Land and Moonlight best picture announcement mix-up.
He wasn’t there to witness Will Smith’s equally infamous slapping of comedian Chris Rock in 2022, with the show hosted by Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes that year.
What films are up for awards?
Oppenheimer leads the nominations pack with 13; Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things has 11; Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon has 10 and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has eight.
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1:29
Oppenheimer is favourite to win best picture
Of course, last summer was really a tale of just two films – thanks to Oppenheimer and Barbie’s same-day release the unexpected portmanteau “Barbenheimer” became a thing and provided a welcome boost to the summer box office after months of industry strikes.
While Barbie won the box office battle with $1.4bn (£1.1bn) in global ticket sales, Oppenheimer is the clear leader for the best picture trophy.
The movie about the race to build the atomic bomb has taken the top prizes at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and BAFTAs.
Could there be any upsets on the night?
Could anything actually derail Oppenheimer from being the big winner of the night?
Image: Christopher Nolan. Pic: Kate Green/BAFTA/Getty
Christopher Nolan – who is one of Britain’s most commercially successful filmmakers – has never won an Oscar, despite being nominated for best picture twice before (for Inception and Dunkirk).
It’s definitely unlikely, but if Martin Scorsese, who’s 81, pipped him to it for Killers Of A Flower Moon he’d make history as the oldest best director winner.
In the best actor race it’s Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy in the lead, with The Holdovers leading actor Paul Giamatti also in with a (small) chance.
Neither have won this award before, both give great performances, and both are known for being all-round good guys. However, Murphy’s wins at the SAGS, Globes and BAFTAs mean he’ll probably get it.
Image: Lily Gladstone winning her Golden Globe. Pic: Reuters
Perhaps the only nail-biter of the evening is in the best actress category, where it’s Emma Stone versus Lily Gladstone.
Stone will probably take the prize on the night, but if Gladstone pulls it out of the bag she’d become the first person of Native American heritage to ever win an acting Oscar.
Meanwhile, if Sandra Huller wins instead, and she’s well-deserving after appearing in two of the films up for best picture (Anatomy Of A Fall and Zone Of Interest), she would be the first German-born actor to win the category in more than 60 years.
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Da’Vine Joy Randolph on awards buzz
In the best supporting actress category, Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a shoo-in, while if the Oppenheimer charm holds Robert Downey Jr will take best supporting actor (his closest competition is Barbie’s Ryan Gosling).
Both Randolph and Downey Jr would be first-time Oscar winners.
And while Oppenheimer will almost certainly bag best picture, should Anatomy Of A Fall, Zone Of Interest or Past Lives get the gong, it would mark only the second time ever that a non-English language film has won a feat first achieved by Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite in 2020.
Any snubs we should know about?
Barbie may have got eight nods, but it’s star – Margot Robbie – and director – Greta Gerwig – were left out in the cold when it came to nominations in the best actress and best director categories.
Image: Gosling, Robbie, and Gerwig on the set of Barbie. Pic: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros via AP
The omissions led some to claim it’s a case of life imitating art, with the misogyny of the movie mirrored in the industry snub.
Their Barbie co-star Gosling called it “disappointing,” adding that while he was “honoured” to be nominated for best supporting actor for “portraying a plastic doll named Ken, there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie”.
Who’s presenting the awards?
Dune star Zendaya will join Academy Award-winner Al Pacino and three-time nominee Michelle Pfeiffer as presenters on the night (not together).
Image: Zendaya. Pic: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
And as tradition dictates, last year’s four acting winners will also come back to present at the show: Brendan Fraser from The Whale, and Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis from Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Other celebrities set to grace the Dolby stage include Bad Bunny, Rita Moreno, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Lange, Nicolas Cage, Mahershala Ali, Sam Rockwell, Lupita Nyong’o and Ramy Youssef.
Will there be live performances?
There most certainly will. All five original song nominees will be performed on the show, which means we can look forward to Ryan Gosling singing power ballad I’m Just Ken and Billie Eilish singing What Was I Made For, which she co-wrote with her brother Finneas.
Image: Ryan Gosling. Pic: AP
The other nominated songs include Diane Warren’s The Fire Inside, from Flamin’ Hot, which will be performed by Becky G, Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson’s It Never Went Away from American Symphony, and Scott George’s Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People) from Killers Of The Flower Moon.
Check back on the Sky News website from around 4pm on Sunday night to follow the entire event on the Oscars liveblog.
Russell Brand has been granted bail after appearing in court charged with sexual offences including rape.
During the brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the 49-year-old spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address, also confirming to the judge that he understood his bail conditions.
Image: Russell Brand outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Pic: Reuters
Brand, who has been living in the US, was charged by post last month with one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape – as well as two counts of sexual assault – in connection with incidents involving four separate women between 1999 and 2005.
The allegations were first made in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches in September 2023.
Image: The comedian and actor did not say anything as he entered the court
The comedian, actor and author has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
Appearing before Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring, Brand stood to confirm his name and address. He then sat down while the charges were read to the court.
Image: Brand surrounded by media. Pic: Reuters
Brand is charged with the rape of a woman in 1999 in the Bournemouth area. She alleges that after meeting Brand at a theatrical performance and chatting to him later in her hotel room, she returned from the toilet to find he’d removed some of his clothes. She claims he asked her to take photos of him, and then raped her.
The court also heard of another of Brand’s alleged victims, who has accused him of indecently assaulting her in 2001 by “grabbing her arm and dragging her towards a male toilet” at a TV station.
Brand is accused of the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman he met in 2004 in London. He is accused of grabbing her breasts before allegedly pulling her into a toilet.
The final complainant is a radio worker who has accused Brand of sexually assaulting her between 2004 and 2005 by “kissing” and “grabbing” her breasts and buttocks.
Image: Brand leaves court. Pic: Reuters
The judge referred the case up to the Crown Court – informally known as the Old Bailey.
Brand was asked to supply both his US and UK addresses to the court.
When asked if he understood his bail conditions, he replied, “Yes”.
The case was adjourned and Brand, of Hambleden, Buckinghamshire, was told he must appear at the Old Bailey on 30 May.
Paul Weller, Primal Scream and DJ Annie Mac are among the music stars who have signed a letter in support of rap group Kneecap.
The politically-charged Belfast trio, who are no strangers to controversy, have faced criticism in recent weeks following a performance at US festival Coachella in which they displayed the message “F*** Israel. Free Palestine”.
Then came the emergence of footage, taken from a gig at London’s Kentish Town Forum last November, which appeared to show one member of the group shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
Video also emerged from a November 2023 gig, appearing to show one member of the group saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for Kneecap to face prosecution over the two videos, while Glastonbury Festival is now facing pressure to drop them from this year’s line-up.
A handful of the group’s gigs have been cancelled, including one that was set to take place at Cornwall’s Eden Project.
In an open letter, the group’s record label, Heavenly Recordings, said there had been a “clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform” the group.
More than 40 music acts have now signed the letter.
Image: Former The Jam frontman Paul Weller is one of the artists to have given Kneecap their backing. Pic: AP
It reads: “As artists, we feel the need to register our opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom.
“In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people.”
It also accuses politicians of “strategically concocting moral outrage over the stage utterings of a young punk band” while ignoring a “genocide” in Gaza.
“Kneecap are not the story. Gaza is the story. Genocide is the story,” it says. “And the silence, acquiescence and support of those crimes against humanity by the elected British Government is the real story.
“Solidarity with all artists with the moral courage to speak out against Israeli war crimes, and the ongoing persecution and slaughter of the Palestinian people.”
Annie Mac, Beoga, Bicep, Biig Piig, Blindboy Boatclub, Bob Vylan, Christy Moore, Damien Dempsey, Delivery, Dexys, English Teacher, Enter Shikari, Fontaines D.C., Gemma Dunleavy, Gurriers, Idles, Iona Zajac, Jelani Blackman and John Francis Flynn.
Joshua Idehen, Katy J Pearson, Kojaque, Lankum, Lisa O’Neill, Lowkey, Massive Attack, Martyn Ware, Paul Weller, Peter Perrett, Poor Creature, Primal Scream and Pulp.
Roisin El Cherif, Shirley Manson, Sleaford Mods, Soft Play, The Mary Wallopers, The Pogues, Thin Lizzy and Toddla T.
Instagram accounts belonging to other acts, including Mercury Prize nominees Yard Act, have commented on post featuring the statement, asking to be added.
Elsewhere, trip hop collective Massive Attack put out their own statement supporting Kneecap.
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Kneecap comments ‘dangerous and heartbreaking’
It comes as the Metropolitan Police is assessing the “kill MPs” video clip, along with the 2024 video in which a band member appeared to say “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the group – made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh – addressed the families of murdered MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox, saying: “We never intended to cause you hurt.”
The daughter of murdered MP Sir David Amess has praised “swift action taken by law enforcement” after counter-terror police confirmed they are investigating claims the band Kneecap called for people to kill their MPs.
The Metropolitan Police revealed on Thursday that its Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit has found “there are grounds for further investigation into potential offences” in connection to two videos of the rap group.
The first, believed to be from a Kneecap gig at London’s Kentish Town Forum in November 2024, allegedly shows one member of the band shouting: “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
The second, thought to be from a separate concert in November 2023, reportedly sees another say: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
Sir David, Conservative MP for Southend-on-Sea, was murdered by Ali Harbi Ali at his constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea in October 2021.
It was the second murder of a British MP in less than 10 years, following the murder of Labour’s Jo Cox by Thomas Mair in 2016.
Previously the Met said it was assessing whether the two clips of the Irish language trio met the threshold for an investigation.
Katie Amess said in response to their decision on Thursday to pursue an investigation: “Kneecap’s rhetoric is not only abhorrent but poses a direct threat to the safety and well-being of elected officials and the democratic institutions they represent.
“The glorification and incitement of violence have no place in our society and must be unequivocally condemned.
“I commend the swift action taken by law enforcement agencies in addressing this and urge a thorough investigation to determine the full extent of any criminal activity.”
She added that musicians “must be held accountable” for rhetoric that “incites violence and hatred” and that cultural venues should “not be exploited to propagate messages of hate”.
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1:56
Kneecap comments ‘dangerous and heartbreaking’
In a statement posted on Instagram, the group – made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh – addressed the families of murdered MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox, saying: “We never intended to cause you hurt.”
But Ms Amess accused them of “gaslighting”, saying their comments were “absurd” and “not an apology”.
Image: Katie Amess with her MP father Sir David Amess
Dozens of artists come out in support
Since the controversy emerged amid a backlash over their performance at US festival Coachella, in which they displayed the message “Free Israel. Free Palestine”, more than 40 artists have come out to support them.
Paul Weller, Primal Scream and DJ Annie Mac are among the music stars to have signed an open letter claiming there has beena “clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately de-platform” the band.
Kneecap had their concert at the Eden Project in Cornwall cancelled on Wednesday.
In its statement on Thursday, the Met Police confirmed: “Both videos were referred to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for assessment by specialist officers, who have determined there are grounds for further investigation into potential offences linked to both videos.
“The investigation is now being carried out by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and inquiries remain ongoing at this time.”