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In brief
- The 98th Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles on Monday.
- Sinners has a record-breaking 16 nominations, with One Battle After Another close behind at 13.
The 98th Academy Awards are upon us, setting the stage for a thrilling contest between the vampire sensation “Sinners” and the darkly comedic political thriller “One Battle After Another.” These films have captivated audiences and critics alike, making this year’s Oscars a must-watch event.
Among the talented nominees, several Australians are in the running for awards, notably Rose Byrne, who has received a nod for Best Actress. Her compelling performance in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” has garnered significant attention and praise.
Returning to the Oscars stage as host for the second consecutive year is the ever-entertaining Conan O’Brien, promising an evening filled with humor and charm. Adding to the night’s excitement, the performers from the KPop Demon Hunters will grace the stage with a live rendition of their hit song “Golden.”
As anticipation builds, it’s clear that Rose Byrne represents Australia’s brightest hope for Oscar glory this year, with her Best Actress nomination marking a significant achievement in her career.
Who are the Australians up for an award?
Rose Byrne is Australia’s greatest hope at this year’s awards, with a best actress nomination for her starring role in the film If I had Legs I’d Kick You.
Byrne’s performance has already earned her the best actress prize at four key pre-Oscars events, including the Golden Globes.
Byrne is up against Jessie Buckley in Hamnet, Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue, Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Value and Emma Stone in Bugonia.
Jacob Elordi, meanwhile, is up for best supporting actor thanks to his role in Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, one of nine nods for the Netflix film.
Australian-born musician Nick Cave, meanwhile, is up for best original song. Cave was nominated for the title song to Clint Bentley’s film Train Dreams, which stars Australian actor Joel Edgerton.
Edgerton, the central pillar of Train Dreams, was not nominated, although the picture earned four nominations, including best picture.
Australian costume and production designer Fiona Crombie has also been nominated for an Oscar in the best production design category for her work on Hamnet.
What films have the most Oscar nominations?
Sinners, a horror film directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B Jordan, has earned a record-breaking 16 nominations at this year’s Oscars.
One Battle After Another is close behind with 13 nominations. The film, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, stars Leonardo DiCaprio and is loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland.
Both films are up for the night’s top honour — best picture — alongside Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value and Train Dreams.
One Battle After Another, starring DiCaprio as a one-time radical activist now parenting a teenager, was seen as the frontrunner for best picture after stacking up trophy after trophy at recent ceremonies.
But Sinners, which weaves its supernatural themes with a celebration of blues music and Black culture in the Segregation-era US South, made a late surge with a win this month at the Actor Awards.
Both Jordan and DiCaprio are also vying for the best actor award. Timothée Chalamet could also clinch the award for his titular role in Marty Supreme, with Ethan Hawke nominated for Blue Moon and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent.
What time is the Oscars ceremony?
This year’s Oscars ceremony will start at 10am AEDT and run for around three hours.
If you’re in Australia, red carpet coverage will begin from 9:30am AEDT on Channel 7 and 7Plus before the main ceremony kicks off, with an encore screening at 9pm AEDT.
What’s new about this year’s Oscars?
This year’s Academy Awards includes a new award recognising achievement in casting.
Casting directors Nina Gold, Jennifer Venditti, Cassandra Kulukundis, Gabriel Domingues and Francine Maisler are competing for the honour.
The Academy also took steps this year to try to ensure voters have actually watched the movies they are voting on.
The online balloting system, for the first time, tracks whether a voter has streamed each movie. Voters, however, can check a box to say they watched the movie elsewhere outside the Academy website.
Winners of the gold Oscar statuettes are chosen by about 10,000 actors, producers, directors and film craftspeople who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
— With additional reporting by Reuters and the Australian Associated Press.
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