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The California wildfires have sent the Academy into a panicked spiral of trying to locate the correct tone (there were even calls for the whole ceremony to be cancelled as a mark of respect), so there’s a good chance that proceedings might be more sombre than usual. Then again, in Conan O’Brien the Oscars have a host worth actually getting excited about. And then there are the awards themselves.
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If you’re a hardened film fan, you’ll be well aware that there are no dead certs this year. Aside from a couple of categories (mainly the ones for supporting artists), this is the most open an Oscars has been for years, which means that every winner will come as a total surprise.
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Of the 10 movies nominated for best film, only two – Wicked and Dune: Part Two – can genuinely be called blockbusters, and they’re the only ones that definitely won’t win. The others, combined, have a box-office gross roughly equivalent to a Marvel opening weekend. And I’m talking about 2025 Marvel, too, which is really saying something. Yes, traditionally this lack of popular fare means that few people will bother watching the Oscars, but at least for those who do, this has the potential to be a learning experience.
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As for tonight’s playbook, the good and great of the Guardian will be on hand throughout the night to offer reactions and analysis of everything you can possibly think of. Red carpet looks? Check. Political implications? Check. The Oscars forgetting to include anyone significant in the In Memoriam section? Check. And I’ll be here responding to the ceremony itself, moment by moment. If everything goes right, we’ll all get out of here with our will to live intact. What more could you want?
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Important Events
Gwilym Mumford
As Stu has already said, Conan O'Brien is holding this year's ceremony and taking over from Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the last two. Did the Academy choose people who are unlikely to target Trump? Did Kimmel not fantasize about it? Anyway, O'Brien should be a fun host – likeable, profane, not afraid to tackle songs and dance numbers:
Meanwhile, presenters for this year have been announced, and according to Oscar tradition, last year's winning actors Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr and Da'vine Joy Randolph will be unveiling this year's acting category. Other stars in the current category include Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Quarry, Alba Rollwahher, Zoe Saldanya and Rachel Zegler. However, Harrison Ford, who is planning to award the award, will miss the ceremony. Reportedly the cause is due to a diagnosis of shingles. it hurts.
Chloe Mac Donnell
Kicking things with Amelia Dimoldenberg. The creator of the YouTube series Chicken Shop Date has returned to the red carpet for the second year in a row, interviewing the stars on arrival. I'll talk to the Guardian about the dressings for the event earlier this month. DiMoldenberg said: We know from past red carpets and her chicken shops that Di Maldenburg likes the flirty look. Tonight, her choice of blue sparkly cutout dress by Versace fits perfectly with the briefs.
Molwena Ferrie
Hello! Molwena and Chloe from the Guardian fashion desk here. Watch the red carpet and show you the potential hits and unlikely mistakes from Timote, Mikey, Demi and others, as you don't have to. Wherever you stand in red carpet fashion, the problem is that anyone wears something as common as anyone brings the statue home. It's free! Traffic doesn't lie. We know that the red carpet is now an economy, a bizarrely cultivated branding exercise for celebrities, a marketing tool for the fashion industry. But that doesn't stop you having fun either.
Katherine Schord
Maybe you're fresh this year and haven't seen the movie, so you haven't heard of Cara Sofia Gascon. If so, we're here to help!
Here's what you need to know about the 2025 Academy Awards, but was too afraid to ask.
Timetable
The red carpet gets hot around 10pm. The ceremony begins at midnight GMT and ends at 3am Monday. We'll compile the live coverage around 7am. For more information on how to view it, try this and here.
competition
This year, 10 movies will take the best photos. You can read that Guardian Writers have their own cases here. Here's a summary of the races and an overview of the best directors, actors and actresses contests.
prediction
Peter Bradshaw did Andrew Pulver here with him. For it's worth it, here are my final tips in some important categories:
Best Picture: Anora (Spoilers, Conclave)
Best Director: Brady Corbett (Spoiler, Sean Baker)
Best Actor: Adrien Brody
Best Actress: Demi Moore
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin
Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldanya
Best original script: real pain
Best adaptation script: Conclave
Best International Movies: I'm still here
Best Documentary: No Other Lands
Read more
What do those goody bags have?
Is this the most Oscar race in recent memory?
Timothée Chalamet deserves an Oscar – for his Oscar campaign
Evil shame! The success of a huge hit in 2025 writes about Oscar's failure
Saldanya screams as Ariana and Cynthia bags, Chalamet is the best seat: 2025 Oscar class photo
“The camera is more shocking than a rifle”: Married Ukrainian artist who filmed the war – and now heads out to Oscar for the porcelain war
Interviews with the makers of fellow documentary candidates, no other lands
Gladiator II from Blitz: A film that imagines Oscars that I missed this season
Emilia Perez's Evolution: Why was it so wrong for the Oscar-nominated film and its star?
“Stick It to the Man Sentiment”: Oscar-nominated film competes for Donald Trump for bait
God's role in race this year
Additionally, interviews with key players: Cynthia Eribo, Demi Moore, Mikey Madison, Carla Sofia Gascone, Sean Baker, Brady Corbett, Coralie Fargett, Jesse Eisenberg & Kieran Culkin, Adrian Brody, Ralph Fiens, John Lithgow & Stanley Tucci.
It's starting!
Stuart's Heritage
Good evening, welcome to Oscar's Guardian live coverage in 2025. Of course, we were all here. This will be a long night of famous people and nice dresses and long speeches, but this year all bets are off.
The California wildfires were sent to a panic-filled spiral trying to find the right tone of the academy (suggesting that the entire ritual be cancelled as a sign of respect). Again, in Conan O'Brien, Oscar actually has a host worthy of excitement. And there's the award itself.
If you're a hardened movie fan, you'll know well that there's no certificate of death this year. Aside from a few categories (mainly for supporting artists), this is what Oscar was most open over the years. This means that every winner comes as a complete surprise.
Of the 10 films nominated for Best Film, only two – Wicked and Dune: Part 2 – are truly called Blockbusters and are definitely the only films that won't win. Others, combined, have roughly equal box office revenues as Marvel Opening weekend. And I'm also talking about Marvel in 2025. It really says something. Yes, this traditionally lack of popular fares means that few people are troubled by seeing Oscars, but at least for those who do, this can be a learning experience.
As for Tonight's Playbook, we have the good and great things at hand for the guardian all night long to provide you with all the reactions and analysis you can think of. What does the red carpet look like? check. Political meaning? check. Has Oscar forgot to include important people in the Memorial Section? check. And I respond instantly to the ceremony itself here. If everything is done right, we all get out of here with the will to lose our will. What more do you want?
