Oscars 2025: Everything you need to know ahead of film’s biggest night
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?
Pic: Reuters
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.
Conan O’Brien. Pic: AP
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.
Cynthia Erivo (L) and Ariana Grande at the Golden Globes. Pic: AP
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.
Flying the flag for the UK, Raye. Pic: AP
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.
(R-L): Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Robert Downey Jr. Pic: Reuters
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.
Rachel Zegler will present an award. Pic: Retuters
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.
Pic: Neon
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.
Fernanda Torres stars in I’m Still Here. Pic: Altitude
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.
Indian actor Dhanush says he has been left “completely disturbed” by the re-release of one of his hit films with an alternative ending assisted by AI – but the production company behind it has rejected criticism of the move.
Hindi-language romantic drama Raanjhanaa, called Ambikapathy in its Tamil-language title, has made headlines over its re-release 12 years after first hitting cinemas in 2013.
Eros Media World says the new version, which sees the film’s original ending switched to a happier one, is a “lawful and creative reinterpretation, not a replacement”, and that the change and use of artificial intelligence has been made clear to viewers.
The company says the alternate ending was “crafted under the direction of a human creative team using AI only as an assistive tool – not as an autonomous content generator”.
In a statement sent to Sky News, group chief executive Pradeep Dwivedi said the studio wanted to offer “fresh dimensions for audiences” and never intended “to undermine the original essence” of the film.
However, the AI-assisted re-release has already drawn criticism from the film’s director Aanand L Rai, and now its star Dhanush has released a statement to say the “AI-altered climax” had left him “completely disturbed”.
“This alternate ending has stripped the film of its very soul, and the concerned parties went ahead with it despite my clear objection,” Dhanush said in a message posted on X. “This is not the film I committed to 12 years ago.”
Dhanush said the use of AI to alter films or other content “is a deeply concerning precedent for both art and artists” that “threatens the integrity of storytelling and the legacy of cinema”.
He added: “I sincerely hope that stricter regulations are put in place to prevent such practices in the future.”
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Eros said Dhanush’s “wonderful performance” in the role of Kundan had brought the character to life “in an unforgettable way”. However, the studio said the actor’s team had been aware of the plans before the re-release and that they had received “no formal objection”.
“While we acknowledge and respect differing views on the use of AI in film, our aim has been to explore how technology can complement storytelling and offer fresh dimensions for audiences – never to undermine the original essence of a film,” Mr Dwivedi said. “The original Raanjhanaa and Ambikapathy remains much loved and widely available, and the IP is fully preserved.”
He added: “Just as storytelling evolves, so too does music – and with responsible use of AI, even the most iconic soundtracks are being respectfully reimagined as remixes to resonate with new generations while preserving their original soul.
“We deeply respect the creative community and remain committed to collaborating in ways that ensure mutual respect, innovation, and progress for the cinematic arts. As one of India’s most storied film studios, Eros remains committed to celebrating Indian cinema, nurturing talent, and embracing technology responsibly.”
Dhanush’s comments come after statements posted by Rai, who has described the re-release as “a betrayal” to the original that has been “dressed up as innovation”.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “This was never just a film to us. It was shaped by human hands, human flaws, and human feeling. What’s now being circulated is not a tribute. It is a reckless takeover that strips the work of its intent, its context, and its soul.”
Responding to the director’s criticism, Mr Dwivedi reiterated that the re-release is “a respectful creative reinterpretation – clearly labelled and separate from the original version” and said such practices are “common in global cinema, and reflect our long-standing commitment to innovation, audience engagement, and cultural preservation”.
He also highlighted an ongoing legal dispute between Eros and Colour Yellow Productions, the studio co-founded by Rai.
Strikes by video game actors ended in June after starting last year. File pic: AP
The re-release comes as artificial intelligence continues to cause concern among some in the creative industries. In June, video game actors in the US ended a strike after nearly a year of industrial action over the use of AI by game studios – an issue that was also part of the concerns raised by the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023.
Earlier this year, Oscar-nominated film The Brutalist made headlines for using the technology to “refine” Hungarian accents.
It has also been used for de-aging stars such as Harrison Ford for the latest Indiana Jones film and Tom Hanks in the 2024 picture Here – and for helping to create “the last Beatles record” featuring John Lennon’s vocals, released in 2023.
There is a “good side” to the technology but also a “scary side”, Sir Paul McCartney has said, adding: “We will just have to see where that leads.”
Oasis have said they are “shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a fan” at their Wembley Stadium concert on Saturday.
Together with their bandmates, Liam and Noel Gallagher have offered their “sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved”.
Metropolitan Police said officers on duty at the stadium responded, alongside venue medics and the London Ambulance Service, to reports a person had been injured at around 10.20pm.
The statement continued: “A man – aged in his 40s – was found with injuries consistent with a fall. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”
According to media reports, the man fell from the stadium’s upper tier.
A concertgoer on social media said they saw the incident and described it as “horrific”.
Liam and Noel Gallagher on stage at their first reunion gig. Pic: AP
Metropolitan Police said: “The stadium was busy, and we believe it is likely a number of people witnessed the incident, or may knowingly or unknowingly have caught it on mobile phone video footage.
“If you have any information that could help us to confirm what happened, please call 101.”
Oasis performed at the venue as planned on Sunday night, delivering the final concert of a five-night run at Wembley.
Addressing fans at the stadium, singer Liam said: “This one’s for all the people who can’t be here tonight, but who are here if you know what I mean, and aren’t they looking lovely. Live Forever.”
The band then played the track of the same name.
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Oasis support act Richard Ashcroft paid tribute on Instagram, writing: “I was shocked to hear of the death of one of the audience last night sending my love to the family and friends.”
A spokesperson for Wembley Stadium said: “Our thoughts go out to his family, who have been informed and are being supported by specially trained police officers.”
They will then head to Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the United States, before returning to Wembley for two more dates in September.
The reunion tour began at the start of July and marks the Gallagher brothers’ first performances together since Oasis split acrimoniously in 2009.
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