LOS ANGELES — The 94th annual Academy Awards are almost here.
While this year's show is still being held a bit later than its usual February date, much of the same feel and style will be returning for the second ceremony held during the COVID-19 pandemic. The awards are returning to their Dolby Theater home venue of two decades, and Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes will be hosting after three years without a host.
Here is everything you need to know about Hollywood's biggest night:
When are the Oscars?
The 94th Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
If you want to see all the gowns and tuxes, tune in early. Red carpet programming will kick off on ABC at 6:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT, an hour-and-a-half before showtime.
How to watch on TV, how to stream the Oscars
The 94th annual Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, Calif.
Viewers will also be able to tune in through their TV provider on ABC's website and the ABC app. The show will also be available to stream on DIRECT STREAM, Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV.
Who is hosting the Oscars?
The last few years have broken from awards' tradition in that they have not included a host since 2018. Kevin Hart was originally supposed to host the 91st awards in 2019, but he stepped down after previous tweets containing homophobic language came to light.
This time around, the ceremony is bringing not one but three hosts: Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes.
Schumer, who stars in the 10-episode Hulu series "Life & Beth," has been nominated for 12 primetime Emmy awards, and won outstanding variety sketch series in 2015 for "Inside Amy Schumer."
Hall, who starred in "Girl's Trip," has appeared in the "Scary Movie" franchise, starred in the series "Black Monday," and anchored films such as "The Hate U Give" and "Little."
Sykes, a veteran stand-up comedian and writer, won her first primetime Emmy in 1999 for her writing on "The Chris Rock Show" and is known for roles on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The New Adventures of Old Christine," and "Black-ish."
Who is presenting at the Oscars?
The Academy Awards announced the following list of stars who will be presenting during the show. "West Side Story" breakout star Rachel Zegler was recently added to the list, after she revealed that she had not originally been invited to the ceremony.
- Halle Bailey
- Stephanie Beatriz
- Josh Brolin
- Ruth E. Carter
- Sean “Diddy” Combs
- Kevin Costner
- Jamie Lee Curtis
- DJ Khaled
- Jacob Elordi
- Jennifer Garner
- Jake Gyllenhaal
- Woody Harrelson
- H.E.R.
- Tiffany Haddish
- Tony Hawk
- Anthony Hopkins
- Daniel Kaluuya
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Lady Gaga
- Lily James
- Zoë Kravitz
- Mila Kunis
- John Leguizamo
- Simu Liu
- Rami Malek
- Shawn Mendes
- Jason Momoa
- Bill Murray
- Lupita Nyong’o
- Elliot Page
- Rosie Perez
- Chris Rock
- Jill Scott
- Naomi Scott
- Tyler Perry
- Tracee Ellis Ross
- J.K. Simmons
- Kelly Slater
- Wesley Snipes
- Uma Thurman
- John Travolta
- Shaun White
- Serena Williams
- Venus Williams
- Yuh-Jung Youn
- Rachel Zegler
Who was nominated?
"The Power of the Dog," Netflix's psychological Western drama that touches on themes of masculinity and sexuality, leads the pack of nominees with 12 total, including best picture, best director for Jane Campion, and acting nominations for stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
"Dune," the most recent adaptation of the eponymous 1965 epic space novel, holds the second-most nominations, counting 10 total. Also rounding out the best picture category: "Belfast," "CODA," "Don’t Look Up," "Drive My Car," "King Richard," "Licorice Pizza," "Nightmare Alley," and "West Side Story."
Surprisingly, the best actor and actress categories are mainly comprised of performances from films not nominated for Best Picture, such as Andrew Garfield for "tick, tick…BOOM!," Denzel Washington for "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Jessica Chastain for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," and Kristen Stewart for "Spencer," among others.
In terms of diversity, the awards saw a drop from its 2021 record when nine people of color were nominated for acting awards. This year, just four Black actors have been given that distinction: Washington, Will Smith for best actor ("King Richard"), Ariana DeBose for best supporting actress ("West Side Story") and Aunjanue Ellis for best supporting actress ("King Richard").
However, there are a few "firsts" for nominations. Campion is the first woman to ever receive more than one nominations for best director. "CODA's" Troy Kotsur is also the first male actor who is deaf to ever be nominated for an acting award.
"Drive My Car" is the first entry from Japan to score a best picture nomination, following recent year trends in which more foreign language and international features secure nominations.
No animated film has ever won more than one award, but this year two films, Disney's "Encanto" and the Danish documentary "Flee," each have a chance, both having two other nominations in addition to best animated feature.
"Encanto" is up for best original score and best original song, thanks to the one-and-only Lin-Manuel Miranda. "Flee" is up for best documentary feature and best international feature, the first time any film has secured all three.
How can I watch the Best Picture nominees?
Many of this year's best picture nominees have already been released on various home-viewing platforms. Others are available to rent online.
Click here for a full breakdown of where to watch/stream the best picture nominations.