Everything you need to know about the 2022 Oscars

WHEN ARE THE OSCARS?

The Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 27, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (March 28, UAE). The ceremony is set to begin at 8 pm ET and will be broadcast live on ABC.

WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH THE 2022 OSCARS IN THE UAE?

OSN, the official broadcaster for Oscars in the Middle East, will stream the highly coveted event on its new OSN+ service. The pre-show will begin after midnight on Monday, March 28, followed by the ceremony which will begin at 4am on Monday, March 28 in the UAE. If you have missed it live, don’t fret as the entire show will be repeated at 7am and 8pm on the same day. Highlights will also be screened in the coming days. For more information, visit OSN website.

WHO IS HOSTING THE OSCARS?

Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes are taking the stage to co-host the ceremony, which has been without an emcee for the past three years. Producer Will Packer said each woman brings something different to the show.

WHO IS PRESENTING?

Show producers will continue adding names, but at the moment stars expected to hand out awards Oscar night include Bill Murray, Lady Gaga, Kevin Costner, Samuel L. Jackson, Zoe Kravitz, Anthony Hopkins, Lily James, Daniel Kaluuya, Mila Kunis, John Leguizamo, Simu Liu, Rami Malek, Lupita Nyong’o and Rosie Perez. On Wednesday the academy squashed one pre-show controversy by confirming that West Side Story star Rachel Zegler will be a presenter, a reversal that came after several days of uproar when the actor noted on social media she didn’t have an Oscar invite. Also added as presenters are Jason Momoa, Serena and Venus Williams, J.K. Simmons, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jacob Elordi and Jill Scott. Other performers will be Chris Rock, Naomi Scott, Wesley Snipes, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Yuh-jung Youn, Ruth E. Carter, Halle Bailey, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Shawn Mendes, Tyler Perry, Tracee Ellis Ross, Stephanie Beatriz, DJ Khaled, Jennifer Garner, H.E.R., Tiffany Haddish, Tony Hawk, Elliot Page, Kelly Slater and Shaun White.

WHICH MOVIES ARE NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE AT THE 2022 OSCARS?

The 10 movies competing for best picture this year are: Belfast; CODA; Don’t Look Up; Drive My Car; Dune; King Richard; Licorice Pizza; Nightmare Alley; The Power of the Dog; West Side Story.

WHAT WERE THE MOST SURPISING OSCAR SNUBS?

There were a lot of surprises Oscar nominations morning. Some exclusions that stood out include Denis Villeneuve, whose Dune got the second most nominations (10) behind The Power of the Dog (12) including best picture, but who failed to get a directing nomination for himself.

The best actress category was especially brutal this year, leaving out Lady Gaga for House of Gucci, Jennifer Hudson for Respect and Caitriona Balfe for Belfast and Renate Reinsve for The Worst Person in the World.

WHAT ARE THE PREDICTIONS FOR THE WINNERS ON OSCAR NIGHT?

The Power of the Dog is the presumed frontrunner for best picture and best director, for Jane Campion, but there is also the possibility that CODA will take best picture, especially after it won at the Producer’s Guild Awards. Either way, it’ll be the first time a streaming service has won best picture. Other likely winners include Will Smith for best actor (King Richard), Jessica Chastain for best actress (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Troy Kotsur for best supporting actor (CODA) and Ariana DeBose for best supporting actress (West Side Story).

WHAT ELSE CAN WE EXPECT FROM OSCARS?

Organisers have promised that they will keep the broadcast to three hours and Packer (whose films include crowd pleasers like Girls Trip) wants to make it as entertaining as possible while still honoring the nominees and winners.

“The show will flow, not unlike a movie, in that there will be different themes and a different feel and different energy throughout the night,” Packer said in an interview with IndieWire. “It will not feel or look or sound like one show for three hours. It’s taking you through the course of this cinematic journey.”

Best song nominees like Beyonce, Van Morrison and Billie Eilish are also in talks to perform.

ARE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES THIS YEAR?

The Oscars are so high profile that every year someone is upset about something (especially when changes are involved) but this year the biggest controversy is over the decision to present some awards before the live broadcast begins and edit them into the show later.

The eight awards are for shorts (live action, animated and documentary), editing, score, hair and makeup, sound and production design. The decision has its defenders, but also an army of high-profile detractors, including Campion, Villeneuve, Steven Spielberg, Chastain and Penelope Cruz.

• UAE
• Americas