Oscars tomorrow: A night of surprises and firsts

After the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, DGA, and BAFTA, the grand finale of Hollywood’s awards season is here — the Oscars. The prestigious Academy Awards will be presented tomorrow morning, March 3 (Bangladesh time). The 97th Academy Awards will be held at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles’ Ovation Hollywood, with American TV personality Conan O’Brien hosting for the first time.

The event will kick off at 5:30am (Bangladesh time), with the “Oscars Red Carpet Show” being hosted by American dancer-singer Julianne Hough, just like last year. Canadian TV star Jesse Palmer will join her on the red carpet for the first time. The main event will begin at 6am on the Dolby Theatre stage. Viewers in over 200 countries, including Bangladesh, will be able to watch the event live on ABC and the streaming platform Hulu.

One of the key performances of the night will be by Lisa, a member of the South Korean band Blackpink. She will be the first Korean pop star to sing on the Oscars stage, joining British singer Raye and American rapper Doja Cat for a special act.

As is tradition, the late film industry icons from the past 12 months will be honoured with a musical tribute by American actress-rapper Queen Latifah, accompanied by a choir performance from the Los Angeles Master Chorale. As per speculations, British actress-singer Cynthia Erivo and American singer-actress Ariana Grande will deliver a medley from their movie “Wicked”. As always, nominees in the Best Original Song category will perform their songs during the ceremony.

Previous Oscar-winning actors Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, Emma Stone, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph are set to present awards to this year’s winners. Other stars appearing on stage include American icons Oprah Winfrey, singer Selena Gomez, and actresses Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson, Elle Fanning, Margaret Qualley, Zoe Saldana, Rachel Zegler, Goldie Hawn, June Squibb, and Whoopi Goldberg. Additionally, Amy Poehler, Spanish actress Penélope Cruz, Ana de Armas, and Israeli actress Gal Gadot will also be making appearances.

While results from various awards shows usually give a good idea of the potential Oscar winners, this year has proven to be more unpredictable. The buzz surrounding this year’s Oscars is filled with controversy and uncertainty, making it harder than ever to predict who will walk away with the golden statuette.

The current frontrunners include (predictions by Variety):

Best Picture: “Anora”

Best Director: Sean Baker (“Anora”)

Best Actor: Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”)

Best Actress: Demi Moore (“The Substance”)

Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”)

Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana (“Emilia Perez”)

Best International Feature: “I Am Still Here” (Brazil)

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