Current Update: The 97th Oscars are currently happening

LOS ANGELES – The 97th Academy Awards commenced at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “Emilia Pérez” leads with 13 Oscar nominations, closely followed by “Wicked” and “The Brutalist.” The opening of the 2025 Oscars featured prominent musical performances. Ariana Grande from “Wicked” began with the classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz,” accompanied by a visual tribute to Los Angeles.

Here’s the Latest:

Conan O’Brien gets Oscars off to a snarky start

Host Conan O’Brien got the show and his monologue off to a start filled with his usual sarcastic humor.

O’Brien delivered playful jabs at the Oscars, dubbing it Hollywood’s grand event that strangely begins in the late afternoon. He humorously commented on his own appearance, quipping, “I can read minds: ‘Did Conan skip the cosmetic procedures? He actually looks his age.'” Additionally, he took a dig at Netflix for its recent price hikes.

He also implored the Oscar audience to sit down — after not getting a standing ovation.

A “Wicked”-ly fun opening

The 2025 Oscars commenced with captivating musical performances. Ariana Grande from “Wicked” captivated the audience with a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz,” which was followed by a visual homage to Los Angeles.

She ditched her usual Glinda pink for a ruby red gown, channeling Dorothy’s iconic shoes. She was followed by Elphaba herself, Cynthia Erivo, nailing “Home” from the “The Wiz.” (The late Quincy Jones supervised the adaptation of songs from the Broadway musical for the 1978 film starring Michael Jackson.) Then Grande and Erivo teamed up for a dynamic duet of “Defying Gravity.” And yes, they hit the note.

How does Oscar voting work?

There are about 10,500 global members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Some are actors, some directors, some editors, some costume designers, some hair and makeup people … you get the idea.

In 22 of the 23 categories, it’s a simple system: The nominee with the most votes wins. Easy. Voting is done online, ballots are not released publicly and only two partners at PricewaterhouseCoopers know the winners before they are revealed to the world.

For best picture, the system is different: enter ranked choice voting. Voters rank the nominees in order and the film getting 50% or more of the vote is the winner.

Here’s where it gets confusing, so we’ll let the academy explain it in its own words: “If one movie doesn’t get 50% out of the gate, the one with the fewest votes is eliminated, and the members who voted for that as their top choice have their votes added to the film that was next on their list.

“What happens if their second choice was the one that was eliminated? Well, their votes then go to their third choice, and so on. That process continues until one movie gets 50% or more of all the votes.”

Demi Moore stops for a Ghost reunion

Demi Moore was making a beeline through the red carpet, waving to fans but also walking with purpose.

The one person she stopped for? Her “Ghost” costar Whoopi Goldberg.

The two clasped hands and chatted for a few moments before Moore continued on.

Guy Pearce wears ‘Free Palestine’ pin

“The Brutalist” actor Guy Pearce showed up wearing a “FREE PALESTINE” pin featuring a white dove and a gold branch. The award show comes as Israel stopped the entry of all food and other supplies into Gaza on Sunday.

Pearce, who has expressed his support throughout the awards season with various pins, said “It’s the least we can do.”

“I’m just always on the case of trying to recognize Palestine and it having as much support as it possibly can because it’s what it absolutely needs.”

‘No Other Land’ barely mentioned in Israeli media

“No Other Land,” a documentary about the Israeli destruction of Palestinian homes in the West Bank, has barely been mentioned in Israel outside of scattered coverage in the country’s left-wing media. It’s a stark shift from other Israeli films that are nominated for an Oscar, which usually receive boastful accolades in the run-up to the awards ceremony. But the country is still reeling from the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, with dozens of hostages still in captivity, and the devastating war, the longest intensive combat in Israeli history, which killed more than 48,000 Palestinians and 2,000 Israelis.

The timing is simply too sensitive, said Raya Morag, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who specializes in cinema and trauma.

“Everyone is in mourning or in trauma, we can hardly hear any other voice on any other subject,” she said. Morag, who is part of the left-wing peace movement, said she believes there will be a place for this film, made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, in the future discourse, but only after the hostages have returned, the destroyed homes have been rebuilt, a new election is held to replace the current right-wing government, and the country goes through a “collective mourning process.”

She noted that the documentary film “Five Broken Cameras,” which documented life in a Palestinian village along the Israeli security fence, became part of a national conversation because it was released in 2012, during a relatively peaceful period between outbursts of active conflict.

“No Other Land” has also struggled in the U.S., where it could not find a distributor despite a litany of accolades.

Brandi Carlile talks about working and writing with Elton John

Brandi Carlile is a first-time Oscar nominee, having written “Never Too Late” with Elton John. The big-hearted anthem, which serves as a title track for the documentary about his life, is up for best original song.

“He didn’t ask, I sort of solicited myself,” she joked to the AP on the red carpet about their collaboration.

“I watched the documentary, and I was really taken aback by the fact that I felt that it was going to sort of force Elton to sit and self-reflect in a really important way, that he doesn’t normally do, you know? I wanted to take in those good things about himself, all those wonderful things about himself. And I wanted to write a lyric that did what I felt the documentary did, which was for him to look in a mirror and say, ‘You know, you’re an iron man, baby.’”

EGOT Watch: Cynthia Erivo

She’s not expected to win best actress for “Wicked,” but if there’s an upset, Cynthia Erivo could become the 22nd person to enter the EGOT club tonight.

Her Tony, Grammy and Emmy awards all stemmed from her role in the Broadway musical of “The Color Purple.” It’s her third Oscar nomination since.

Erivo is also performing on the show and she’s hosting the Tonys in June.

The songwriting duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul became the most recent EGOT winners when they won an Emmy last year. Elton John, already an EGOT, is also nominated in the best song category.

Fashion statements carry a political message

As stars arrived on the red carpet, some added messaging to their ensembles. Swedish singer and actor Kayo Shekoni lifted up her black heel to reveal the words “free Congo” on the red carpet, advocating for the conflict-ridden African nation.

“Conclave” writer Peter Straughan showed his support for Ukraine with a Ukrainian flag pin accent on his tuxedo.

“Just to say, let’s not turn our backs on Ukraine,” he told Variety’s Marc Malkin.

The pin caries extra significance after a tense meeting unfolded between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance Friday.

The team behind best documentary nominee “Porcelain War,” the story of Ukrainian artists who trade their paintbrushes for guns to fight against the Russian invasion, also sported Ukrainian flag pins.

Jeff Goldblum blooms on red carpet

Actor Jeff Goldblum added a floral arrangement to his off-white tuxedo jacket lapel, in a play off his last name.

Orchids adorned the “Wicked” star’s Prada look that he paired with a colorful floral button up and a black bow tie. His signature glasses were tinted green. Goldblum previously walked for the Prada runway in 2022.

Mission: Possible for June Squibb

June Squibb had no time to spare. She made a grand entrance to the red carpet in sequined florals, being pushed with purpose in a wheelchair.

“There’s June!” someone said, trying to get her attention, but she was already too far away.

“Oh well, she’s on a mission,” another shrugged.

Just like “Thelma.”

Meet the creator of ‘Johanne Sacreblu,’ Mexico’s joyous revenge against ‘Emilia Pérez’

“Emilia Pérez” is not exactly popular in Mexico, where it’s been met largely with indifference or negativity. Instead, Mexico has rallied around “Johanne Sacreblu,” a protest parody from trans filmmaker Camila D. Aurora.

The short film has amassed more than 3 million YouTube views, and was even shown in cinemas with a red carpet event.

Aurora was curious about “Emilia Perez,” but since the film didn’t premiere until very late in the awards season in Mexico, she had to watch it (first) using a pirated link. She didn’t like it at all, finding its trans and Mexican representation derogatory and problematic.

So she took to TikTok with a pitch: The trans heirs of two millionaire French feuding families, Johanne Sacreblu and Agtugo Ratatouille (performed by Aurora and the Yeylán Torres, respectively), fall in love in the middle of their battle to decide if the croissant or the baguette is the ultimate French bread.

Her followers suggested she fundraise. Aurora collected around $1,700 (35,000 Mexican pesos). She composed and recorded the songs for the 28-minute musical, which premiered the same weekend as “Emilia Perez” did in Mexico. It notched 1 million viewers in just three days.

“We were the ant that faced the giant, it’s very incredible,” Aurora told The Associated Press. “I was doing activism, and my activism began the moment I gathered 50 people using only TikTok videos who came together to work two, three days, many hours, just for the pleasure of laughing about this film that a few days ago only made them angry.”

The film has collected double its original budget. She’s donated part of the profits to two organizations, the feminist group Las Hijas de Mayahuel, which advocates for dignified menstrual health and provides medical care as well as the Grupo Nacional de Búsqueda, a collective of organizations of relatives of disappeared people in Mexico.

And, soon, expect a part two.

BEHIND THE LENS: What it’s like on the loud, loud red carpet

AP photographer Chris Pizzello is a veteran of awards shows — and their red carpets. Here’s how he gets the shot amid fierce competition:

I am a naturally quiet person, so I’ve never been a yeller. Even when I do yell, everyone complains that they can’t hear me! So I try to concentrate on capturing what red carpet photographers call “moments.” A wave. A wink. A spontaneous burst of laughter. Or maybe a look back over the shoulder as the celebrity is walking away. It’s just a matter of always being attentive. I also occasionally like to focus on interesting details, like shoes or necklaces.

“Like A Bird” from “Sing Sing” mints two first-time Oscar nominees

Abraham Alexander and Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada, who composed “Like A Bird” for “Sing Sing,” are up for best original song this year. It marks their first ever Academy Award nominations. But because the nominees in that category won’t perform in 2025, they won’t hit the stage with the likes of 16-nominee Diane Warren or Elton John.

“We would love to share the stage with Elton John and so forth. But what’s a performance if it’s not for people to share? What’s a song if ears can’t hear it?” Alexander said on the red carpet. “We heard they wanted to honor people that were affected by the fires and we were here while it was happening. So, we’re about people. And whichever way we can elevate people’s humanity and human experience, we’re all about.”

Elsewhere in Los Angeles: Timothée Chalamet’s look-alikes vie for a look-alike Oscar

Two of Timothée Chalamet’s lookalikes — yes, those lookalikes — spent the weekend in Los Angeles filming an advertisement for New York hairdresser Sergio Slavnov’s Avenue Man hair care brand.

Miles Mitchell and Zander Dueve placed first and second in the October contest hosted by YouTuber Anthony Po. Flown out from New York and Atlanta by Slavnov to work on the campaign, Mitchell and Dueve spent part of Friday on Rodeo Drive filming the campaign.

“It’s just the gift that keeps on giving, and it just keeps proving to be that,” Dueve said, dressed as Chalamet’s “Dune” character Paul Atreides. “Every now and again, I’m like, okay, five minutes up and then I’m like, oh, okay — there’s another thing, and then another thing, and then Miles and I are coming here.”

Mitchell reprised the thrifted “Wonka” costume that won him the contest. In his briefcase this time? Hair products — and a 3D-printed Oscar statuette.

Clarence Maclin’s joyful Oscar debut

“Sing Sing” star and co-writer Clarence Maclin was joyful on the red carpet at his first Oscars.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “The honor of being with people I’ve been watching my whole life? I don’t feel like I’m in competition; I feel like I’m with the best in class.”

Maclin still has one person on his wish list to meet: Denzel Washington.

Bowen Yang bounds down the red carpet

Bowen Yang was among the earlier celebrities to arrive. Excited and dancing his way through the carpet, he blew kisses to fans. His “Wicked” co-star Ethan Slater was close behind, perhaps less excited for the spotlight: “No thanks,” he said to a passing photographer looking to take a snap. Fans asked him who he would text first if “Wicked” won: “My sister,” he said.

How to get a spot in the Oscars bleachers

Many of the screaming fans in the bleachers entered contests through local TV and radio stations to get the coveted spot on the red carpet. Some are even second or third timers.

“Wicked” seems to be the favorite of the bunch, so expect the decibel levels to rise when Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo arrive.

“We’re going to lose but we love them so much,” said one woman.

The red carpet is underway

The awards ceremony is still a few hours away, but that’s not deterring the stars from making an early entrance. The Associated Press’ official live fashion coverage from the red carpet has officially kicked off, and you can catch all the glitz and glamour here.

Watching on a TV? E!’s “Live from E! The Oscars” red carpet coverage will start at 1 p.m. Pacific and 4 p.m. Eastern ABC’s official red carpet pre-show, hosted by Julianne Hough and Jesse Palmer, will begin at 3:30 p.m. Pacific and 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Then, at 4 p.m. Pacific and 7 p.m. Eastern, the Oscars will be streamed live on Hulu. You can also watch via Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV. With authentication from your provider, you can watch on ABC.com and the ABC app.

A ‘Color Purple’ reunion

Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg are set to reunite on the Oscars stage — though what they’ll be doing there is under wraps until the live broadcast.

Both appeared in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of “The Color Purple,” which earned them Oscar nominations — Winfrey for supporting and Goldberg for lead. They rehearsed together at the Dolby Theatre on Saturday morning for their top-secret presentation.

The two co-stars in reconnected in recent years, clearing the air about a “feud” that they realized never existed but had kept them apart for decades.

This awards season’s fashion MVPs

The list of celebrities bringing it on recent red carpets is growing, a little over a month after the devastating Los Angeles fires subdued carpet dressing for a time. As the city moves into rebuild mode, stars will likely up their fashion games for the biggest awards night of the season: The Oscars.

Cynthia Erivo: Erivo has always taken fashion risks, ditching her Elphaba black for last week’s Screen Actors Guild awards, opting for a silver Givenchy look with a high shaggy collar worthy of her bad witch role.

Jeremy Strong: He wore a mint green suit with a bucket hat in the same color to the Golden Globes. His white turtleneck topped it all off.

Danielle Deadwyler: Deadwyler didn’t play it safe in a bright red strapless 3D structured tiered gown from Louis Vuitton at the SAGs.

Timothée Chalamet: At the SAGs, he married a bright brat green button-up shirt from Chrome Hearts with a shiny black leather suit and a bolo tie as he continues to channel Bob Dylan.

Ariana Grande: Like Margot Robbie’s Barbie pink, Grande has been mostly sticking to a far paler hue, her signature and an homage to her “Wicked” good witch.

Mikey Madison: New fashion darling went Hollywood bombshell at the SAGs with a strapless silver Louis Vuitton look with a large pleated bow at the waist. She’s been working with stylist Jamie Mizrahi, who has dressed Adele and Jennifer Lawrence, among many other celebs.

BEHIND THE LENS: A photographer’s view on one weird awards season

AP photographer Chris Pizzello has been shooting the Oscars for more than a decade. Here’s his take on what makes this awards season different:

This is the least predictable awards season in memory. Usually, I’m about 95% correct in training my lens on the eventual winner of a category in the audience, but this year I’d say I’m more 75%.

Mikey Madison seemed to have the late awards season momentum with wins at BAFTA and the Independent Spirit Awards, but then Demi Moore struck back at the SAGs. Adrien Brody was winning everything, but then Timothée Chalamet finally took one last Sunday. This year’s Oscars seem wide-open in best actor, best actress and best picture (although I’d narrow that one down to either “Anora” or “Conclave”).

The only absolutely sure thing in the major categories, in my view, is Kieran Culkin for best supporting. He’s run the table this year.

What’s the deal with ‘Emilia Pérez’?

Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” a narco-musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirming surgery, comes in with a leading 13 nominations. The film, at one point, seemed like Netflix’s best chance yet to land the streamer its first best picture win. Its star, Karla Sofía Gascón, made history by becoming the first openly trans actor nominated for an Oscar.

But no nominee has had a rockier post-nominations Oscar campaign. After old offensive tweets by Gascón were uncovered, the actress issued an apology. The fallout, though, has badly damaged a movie that was already a divisive contender, and led Netflix to radically refocus its flagging campaign.

All things considered, though, the film did well at France’s Césars — its home country’s Oscars equivalent — on Friday.

Brazil’s Fernanda Torres is this year’s Carnival muse

Brazil’s Carnival muse this year isn’t one of the divas or drum queens parading with the Rio de Janeiro samba schools. It’s Fernanda Torres, who’s competing for the best actress Oscar.

The Oscars fall smack in the middle of Carnival, Brazil’s largest celebration, which runs through Tuesday. During the five-day revelry, the rest of the universe usually fades into the background as Brazilians cut loose and indulge.

Not this year — and the keen focus on the Oscars speaks to Brazil’s pride for its culture and desire to be recognized on the global stage.

Torres is nominated for her performance as the lead in the Walter Salles-directed “I’m Still Here,” which is also nominated for best picture and best international feature. Excitement around the awards has prompted TV Globo, Brazil’s largest network, to resume live coverage of the ceremony after a five-year hiatus. It will forgo the nationwide airing of high-ratings Carnival parades, instead broadcasting the Oscars everywhere except Rio.

▶ Read more about why Brazil cares about the Oscars this year

Who’s hosting the Oscars?

Conan O’Brien is hosting the Academy Awards for the first time.

“I never have been invited to the Oscars,” the late-night host-turned-podcaster and occasional movie star said at a news conference Wednesday. “I only hosted so that I could be invited.”

O’Brien said he would not hesitate to talk about the nation’s fraught political situation.

“I cannot ignore the moment we’re in,” he said. “But I also have to remember it’s threading a needle. I also have to remember what we’re here to celebrate and infuse the show with positivity.”

He said compared to all the other things he’s done, hosting the Oscars is like “for the first time getting to drive a Ferrari.

“I’d like to keep the tuxedo,” he said. “They made me an absolutely beautiful tuxedo. It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever put on in my life.”