One of the biggest televised events of the year has been bumped up an hour earlier – 7pm ET/4pm PT – and it’s getting a streaming first. In addition to airing on ABC and 200 territories worldwide, the 97th Academy Awards will be streamed live on Hulu for all the cord cutters.
Comedian Conan O’Brien is hosting for his very first time, and this year’s The Oscars Red Carpet Show will begin at 6:30p ET/3:30 PT on ABC — hosted Julianne Hough from Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor‘s Jesse Palmer.
The Performers
In lieu of having the original song nominees perform during the ceremony, Wicked stars Erivo and Grande will perform a medley of songs during the ceremony, while Doja Cat, Lisa from Blackpink, Queen Latifah and Raye are among the other confirmed performers scheduled throughout the three hour awards.
The Presenters
While the ceremony always includes a few surprise appearances, ABC has confirmed a who’s who list of presenters: Joe Alwyn, Halle Berry, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher, Zoe Saldaña, Rachel Zegler, Sterling K. Brown, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, Lily-Rose Depp, Robert Downey Jr., Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Cillian Murphy, Connie Nielsen, Amy Poehler, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, June Squibb, Ben Stiller, Emma Stone, Oprah Winfrey and Bowen Yang. (Harrison Ford was confirmed, but just bowed out due to shingles.)
How the presenters will be paired up and what they can and will say against the backdrop of our current moment will keep this year’s ceremony interesting and buzzing across socials.
An ABC Oscar Pool Contest
If you haven’t joined an Oscar pool, you could still win some prizes through ABC’s own Oscars Pick’em. Just be sure to click ’em and finish your voting by 4pm ET. If you get stumped, Gold Derby has all the odds broken out by category.
To follow along at home and to create your own at-home Oscar pool, download a free Oscar Ballot.
The Watercooler’s Takes
Catch up on the conversations around top contenders with the Watercooler’s writers. A few highlights:
Oscar’s Most Relevant Nominees tend to bring home some trophies. Our writer Sarah Mina Osman sifted out the contenders with themes that strike a chord right now.
See why Conclave is the top pick for Best Picture from Felipe Patterson (AAFCA and Critics Choice member).
Sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two may seem like another blockbuster sequel that’s strictly for sci-fi nerds, but we went deeper and discovered how novelist Frank Herbert was inspired by JFK, Tarot, and his Catholic upbringing.
You might not have seen Brazil’s I’m Still Here, but Churchill Gueverra explains why it’s nominated for both Best Picture and Best International Feature.
At three and a half hours long, we didn’t think we could get through The Brutalist. But Felipe Patterson’s perspective on the sweeping epic about the American dream changed our minds and sent us to the theater.
You may not have heard of Universal Language, but Canada’s entry for best foreign language feature is a funny and inspiring film about a culture clash that turns harmonious. Churchill Gueverra offers his high-level take from half way around the world.
Start a watercooler conversation: