Academy Awards
02/21/2025
Clément Ducol and Camille have a chance to join this list for their work on Emilia Pérez.
02/21/2025
02/19/2025
Timothée Chalametcould become the youngest best actor winner at the March 2 ceremony.
02/19/2025
Selena Gomez, one of the stars of Emilia Pérez; second-generation comedy star Ben Stiller; and Joe Alwyn, one of the stars of The Brutalist (though probably still best-known by many as Taylor Swift’s ex) have been added to the list of presenters for the 2025 Oscars. The show will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Other newly announced presenters are Sterling K. Brown, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, Lily-Rose Depp, Goldie Hawn, Connie Nielsen and Oprah Winfrey.
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Previously announced presenters are Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb and Bowen Yang – as well as last year’s four acting winners: Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr. and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Hawn, Berry, Goldberg and Cruz are also past Oscar winners. In 2001, for her role in Monster’s Ball, Berry became the first Black actress to win best actress. These other stars won for best supporting actress – Hawn for Cactus Flower in 1970, Goldberg for Ghost in 1991 and Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2009.
In 2011, Winfrey received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Alwyn has had numerous film credits leading up to The Brutalist. He also appeared in The Favourite (2018), Boy Erased (2018), Mary Queen of Scots (2018) and Harriet (2019), among others.
Nick Offerman will serve as the announcer for this year’s Oscar telecast. Conan O’Brien will host for the first time.
The 97th Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu. The official live red-carpet show will air at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan are executive producers of the 2025 Oscars. Kapoor is also showrunner. He was also one of three executive producers for the Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, along with Ben Winston and Jesse Collins.
Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb and Bowen Yang are set to present at the 2025 Oscars on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Berry, Goldberg and Cruz are past Oscar winners. In 2001, for her role in Monster’s Ball, Berry became the first Black actress to win best actress. She is still the only Black actress to achieve that feat, though Cynthia Erivo, nominated this year for Wicked, could join her. In 1991, for her role in Ghost, Goldberg became only the second Black actress – and the first in 51 years – to win best supporting actress. Zoe Saldaña, nominated this year for Emilia Pérez, could become the 11th Black actress (she is Black and Afro-Latina) to win in that category.
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Cruz won best supporting actress in 2009 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Poehler and Yang both rose to fame on Saturday Night Live, which is enjoying an especially high profile as it celebrates its 50th season. Poehler co-hosted the Golden Globe Awards four times with fellow SNL vet Tina Fey.
Squibb, a best supporting actress nominee in 2014 for Nebraska, is red-hot at age 95, with roles in three 2024 films: Thelma (for which she also served as executive producer), Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead and the animated Inside Out 2.
Last year’s Oscar winners in the four acting categories – Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr. and Da’Vine Joy Randolph – were announced as presenters last week.
Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the 97th Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu. The official live red-carpet show will air at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan are executive producers of the 2025 Oscars. Kapoor is also showrunner. He was also one of three executive producers for the Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, along with Ben Winston and Jesse Collins.
Music played an outsize role in the nominations for the 97th annual Academy Awards, which were announced Jan. 23 (six days later than originally planned due to the Los Angeles wildfires). Emilia Pérez and Wicked are among the 10 films nominated for best picture — the first time that two musicals have been nominated in that category in the same year since the 1969 ceremony, when Oliver! and Funny Girl both vied for the award. Emilia Pérez received 13 nods (more than any other film this year), while Wicked amassed 10. This is the first time in 60 years that two musicals received 10 or more nominations in the same year. At the 1965 ceremony, Mary Poppins had 13 nods and My Fair Lady had 12.
Plus, three actors from the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown — Timothée Chalamet (who plays Dylan), Edward Norton (Pete Seeger) and Monica Barbaro (Joan Baez) — were nominated for acting honors. It’s the first time in Oscar history that three actors from a music biopic have been nominated.
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The Oscar telecast is set for March 2. Here’s a closer look at the two music categories.
Best Original Song
Diane Warren is nominated for the eighth year in a row, which ties her with Sammy Cahn for the longest continuous streak of nominations in this category’s 91-year history. Cahn was nominated eight years running from 1955 to 1962. Clément Ducol and Camille are nominated for best original score for Emilia Pérez and have two songs in the running for best original song. They’re the first composers to land three nods in music categories in one year since Justin Hurwitz achieved the same feat with La La Land eight years ago.
“El Mal”Emilia Pérez (Netflix)Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard
Zoe Saldaña takes the lead on this big production number in the film, with an assist from Karla Sofía Gascón. Both are nominated for their performances — Saldaña for best supporting actress and Gascón for best actress.
Audiard, who is nominated for directing Emilia Pérez and for co-writing the lyrics to this song, is only the third person in Oscar history to be nominated in both the directing and original song categories and the first to be so honored in the same year. Leo McCarey and Spike Jonze received their nominations in separate years.
Ducol and Camille are vying to become the sixth romantic couple to win in this category following Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, and Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
This is the fifth year in a row that one or more non-English-language songs has been nominated in this category. This streak started in 2021 with “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se) and continued with “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto, “Naatu Naatu” from RRR (which won), “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon and now two songs from Emilia Pérez.
“The Journey”The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)Music and lyric by Diane Warren
This inspirational ballad gives Warren her 16th Oscar nomination for best original song — a total equaled by only three other songwriters. Sammy Cahn leads with 26 nods, followed by Johnny Mercer with 18 and Paul Francis Webster, also with 16. (This makes Warren the most-nominated woman in this category, topping the late lyricist Marilyn Bergman, who received 15.)
Making Warren’s tally all the more impressive is that she has rarely been part of an Oscar-magnet film that racked up multiple nominations. “The Journey” is her 11th nominated song from a film that received no other nominations besides hers.
“The Journey” is the 12th of Warren’s best original song contenders that she wrote herself. Only Randy Newman has been nominated with as many songs that he wrote himself. He has been the sole writer of all 13 of his best original song nominees to date.
H.E.R. sings “The Journey” over the end credits to the Tyler Perry film The Six Triple Eight, which stars Kerry Washington. H.E.R. and Warren squared off in this category four years ago, when the R&B star’s “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah beat Warren’s “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se).
“Like a Bird”Sing Sing (A24)Music and lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada
This soulful, midtempo ballad echoes the style of the late folk-rock musician Richie Havens. These are the first Oscar nominations for Alexander and Quesada, who wrote and performed “Like a Bird.”
Quesada has received seven Grammy nominations (but no wins as yet) as a member of Black Pumas. The psychedelic soul band has been nominated in three of the top general-field categories — album and record of the year and best new artist. Quesada previously received two Grammy nods as a member of the Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma, winning best Latin rock, alternative or urban album in 2011 for El Existential.
Alexander is a Texas-based musician, songwriter and guitarist. His nod makes this the eighth year in a row that one or more Black songwriters has been nominated in this category. This represents the longest streak of nominations by Black songwriters in the category’s history.
This was one of three nominations for Greg Kwedar’s film Sing Sing, along with best actor for Colman Domingo and best adapted screenplay. Bryce Dessner of The National scored Sing Sing. He was shortlisted for best original score but not nominated.
“Mi Camino”Emilia Pérez (Netflix)Music and lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol
Selena Gomez sings this sensuous ballad in a sexy scene with co-star Édgar Ramírez. Camille and Ducol had composed several songs for Gomez’s character before the star was cast. Once she was, director Jacques Audiard told the composers he needed another song for the character. They watched the 2022 documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, which explored the singer’s mental health struggles and inspired them to write “Mi Camino.”
“We didn’t have the opportunity to meet her in person [before writing the song] but did meet her through her documentary,” Ducol told The Los Angeles Times. “Her sensitivity was so engaging and so strong that the song was created very quickly. We wrote it in the space of a few hours. For some songs, like ‘El Mal,’ we had dozens of different versions. ‘Mi Camino’ just came to the surface.”
Ducol and Camille have two of the five nominees in this category. This marks the first time that a songwriter or team of songwriters has had two nominated songs in the same year since 2017, when Justin Hurwitz and the EGOT-winning team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul had two nominated songs from La La Land.
“Never Too Late”Elton John: Never Too Late (Disney+)Music and lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin
This is John’s fifth nomination in this category and Taupin’s second. They won five years ago for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman. John first won in this category in 1995 with “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King, which he co-wrote with Tim Rice. If John wins this year, he’ll become just the 10th songwriter in Oscar history — and only the second non-American (following Rice) — to win three or more times in this category. (Fun fact: John has never gone home without an Oscar in the years he has been nominated.)
This is the first Oscar nod for both Carlile and Watt. Watt also earned a nod for song of the year at this year’s Grammys for co-writing the Bruno Mars-Lady Gaga ballad “Die With a Smile.”
John and Carlile perform “Never Too Late” in Elton John: Never Too Late, which was co-directed by R. J. Cutler and John’s husband, David Furnish. During production, Carlile saw an early cut of the film and wrote the first set of lyrics before sending to John to compose. Watt and Taupin later pitched in. This is vying to become the second song from a documentary to win in this category following Melissa Etheridge’s “I Need to Wake Up” from An Inconvenient Truth (2007).
From left: Brandi Carlile, Zoe Saldaña in Emilia Pérez and Kerry Washington in The Six Triple Eight.
Illustration by Nate Kitch
Best Original Score
This category continues to be populated by composers from all over the world. Of this year’s nominees, only Stephen Schwartz and Kris Bowers are Americans. In the last 20 years, the only Americans to win in this category are Michael Giacchino (Up), Trent Reznor (The Social Network, Soul), Justin Hurwitz (La La Land) and Jon Batiste (Soul).
The BrutalistDaniel Blumberg (A24)
This was one of 10 nominations for Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, which stars Adrien Brody as a Hungarian Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust and builds a new life in America. Brody is nominated for best actor; Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones are up for supporting actor and actress, respectively. The film is also nominated for best picture, cinematography, directing, film editing, production design and original screenplay.
The film is dedicated to the memory of Scott Walker, who scored Corbet’s films The Childhood of a Leader and Vox Lux (the latter also featured music by Sia).
Blumberg, 35, is an English artist, musician, songwriter and composer. In May 2022, he won an Ivor Novello Award for best original film score for The World To Come.
The Brutalist soundtrack opens with an overture in three parts, as Blumberg and Corbet wanted the first 10 minutes of the film to have continuous music. In addition to composing all the music, Blumberg served as producer and recording engineer and played piano, harmonica, keyboards and synthesizer. Pianist John Tilbury is featured on the 11-minute track “Intermission,” while a Brody speech from the film is featured on the track “Monologue.”
ConclaveVolker Bertelmann (Focus Features)
This is the third nomination for the German composer, who performs and records under the name Hauschka. He was first nominated at the 2017 ceremony for Lion, which he scored in tandem with Dustin O’Halloran. He won two years ago for his score to All Quiet on the Western Front. If Bertelmann wins for Conclave, it would mark the quickest return to the podium in this category since Gustavo Santaolalla won back-to-back Oscars in 2006-07 for scoring Brokeback Mountain and Babel.
Conclave director Edward Berger also directed All Quiet on the Western Front. The director and composer are collaborating again on The Ballad of a Small Player, an upcoming psychological thriller drama starring Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton.
This was one of eight nominations for Conclave. The film’s other nods are for actors Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini, best picture, costume design, film editing, production design and adapted screenplay. Berger was passed over for a nod for best director.
“The collaboration with Edward Berger is for me a big gift,” Bertelmann, 58, said in a statement, “and allows me to search and discover a lot of possibilities.”
Emilia PérezClément Ducol and Camille (Netflix)
Emilia Pérez is one of only four musicals in Oscar history to land as many as 13 nods. La La Land leads the pack with 14. Chicago and Mary Poppins matched Emilia Pérez’s total of 13.
Ducol and Camille, 43 and 46, respectively, are vying to become the second couple to win in a scoring category following lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman, who won in 1984 for their original song score for Yentl, on which they collaborated with Michel Legrand.
Ducol and Camille are also vying to become the first French composers to win in this category since Alexandre Desplat triumphed seven years ago for The Shape of Water. Five other French composers have won in scoring categories: Legrand, Maurice Jarre, Francis Lai, Georges Delerue and Ludovic Bource.
“We are overwhelmed by these nominations,” Ducol and Camille said in a joint statement. “Music and community is our life, and to be nominated in two music categories by our film music community surpasses anything we could have possibly imagined.”
Clockwise from left: Jonathan Bailey in Wicked, Clément Ducol and Camille, Bowers and Adrien Brody in The Brutalist.
Illustration by Nate Kitch
WickedJohn Powell and Stephen Schwartz (Universal)
This is Schwartz’s fourth nomination in a scoring category following three nods in the defunct best original musical or comedy score category for Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Prince of Egypt. (The film academy last presented that award in 1999.) Schwartz, 76, is a two-time winner for best original song, for “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas (which he co-wrote with Alan Menken) and “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt (which he wrote himself).
This is Powell’s second nod in this category following one for the 2010 film How To Train Your Dragon. The Englishman has also composed scores for films such as Face/Off, Drumline and Bolt.
This was one of 10 nominations for Wicked, which has become the top-grossing film ever adapted from a Broadway musical. A sequel, Wicked: For Good, is due in November. Jon M. Chu directed both films.
The Wicked soundtrack album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2, the highest debut in history for a soundtrack based on a stage musical. Highlights include “Popular” (sung by Ariana Grande, a best supporting actress nominee for her role as Glinda) and “Defying Gravity” (sung by Cynthia Erivo, a best actress nominee for her role as Elphaba, with an assist from Grande).
The Wild RobotKris Bowers (Universal)
This is Bowers’ first scoring nomination. He has been nominated twice in documentary categories — as a director of A Concerto Is a Conversation and as a director-producer of The Last Repair Shop (both collaborations with Ben Proudfoot). The latter film won last year for documentary short film. Bowers, 35, is the first Black composer to be nominated for best original score in four years. At the 2021 ceremony, both Terence Blanchard (Da 5 Bloods) and Jon Batiste (Soul, a collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) were nominated.
This was one of three nominations for Chris Sanders’ The Wild Robot, which is also competing for best animated feature and best sound. The Wild Robot is the first animated film to receive a nod for best original score since Encanto three years ago.
The Wild Robot soundtrack includes “Kiss the Sky,” which was co-written and performed by Maren Morris. It was shortlisted for best original song but wasn’t nominated.
This is Bowers’ first score for a fully animated film. His previous scoring assignments include the live-action dramas Green Book, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Respect, King Richard, The Color Purple and Bob Marley: One Love.
This story appears in the Feb. 8, 2025, issue of Billboard.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is hosting its ninth annual virtual “Conversation With Oscar-Nominated Songwriters,” which will be available to watch for free on the organization’s website for three weeks. The conversation, moderated by SHOF inductees Nile Rodgers (SHOF chairman) and Paul Williams (a member of the SHOF board of directors) will become available on […]
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ decision not to have performances of the nominated songs on the 97th annual Academy Awards on March 2, but to instead focus on the songwriters, has struck a sour note with Ashley Irwin, president of the Society of Composer & Lyricists.
Billboard has obtained a letter that Irwin wrote to the Academy’s board of governors and the producers of the Oscar telecast asking them to reconsider their decision.
“…This decision to exclude the song performances presents as just another example of the devaluation of music, and its creators,” Irwin wrote. “What should be an opportunity to elevate our craft, by an Academy tasked to represent the importance of music to a motion picture’s storytelling, will be lost. A performance shares the creation of a songwriter’s original work. To eliminate the nominee performances is to silence songwriters.
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Irwin also argued, “In a time when Los Angeles, the home of filmmaking, has lost entire communities and with so many people affected, music has the power to inspire and heal — a message reflected in the Oscar-nominated songs.”
The Academy announced its decision to present the best original song category on the Oscar telecast in a different way on Wednesday (Jan. 22), one day before the nominations were announced, presumably after it saw the list of nominees. The roster doesn’t include any songs that have become big hits, like last year’s winner, “What Was I Made For” from Barbie. Billie Eilish‘s recording of the song, which she co-wrote with her brother FINNEAS, had reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 months before the telecast.
This year’s nominees are “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez, “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight, “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing, “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez and “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late.
In a letter to Academy members on Jan. 22, Bill Kramer, Academy CEO, and Janet Yang, Academy president, said, “This year the Best Original Song category presentation will move away from live performances and will be focused on the songwriters. We will celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life. All of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.”
In their letter, Kramer and Yang also teased that music will play a role in the show in other ways. “There is so much more in store, including powerful musical moments that connect film’s rich history to its bold and inspiring future.”
Here’s Irwin’s letter, in full:
Dear AMPAS Governors and producers of the 97th Academy Awards,
I am the president of The Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL), the premier organization for professional songwriters and composers working in film and other visual media. All the Oscar-nominated songwriters this year, as in most years, are members of the SCL. Our members, who number over 4,000 in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the majority of the Motion Picture Academy Music Branch, are disappointed over the decision to eliminate the Oscar-nominated song performances at the 97th Academy Awards. Songwriters and composers face many challenges in the current climate, including everything from diminished royalty payments by streaming services to the theft of their intellectual property to enrich “big tech” in the guise of training for AI. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and an award like the Oscar, has always served to amplify and honor the work of talented craftspeople, but this decision to exclude the song performances presents as just another example of the devaluation of music, and its creators. What should be an opportunity to elevate our craft, by an Academy tasked to represent the importance of music to a motion picture’s storytelling, will be lost. A performance shares the creation of a songwriter’s original work. To eliminate the nominee performances is to silence songwriters.
We understand there are reasons behind this decision, but it is my understanding that there was no discussion with the Music Branch. The songs and performances this year would represent a diverse range of artists, including past Oscar winners H.E.R. and Elton John along with Brandi Carlile, Clément Ducol & Camille, Adrian Quesada & Abraham Alexander, as well as 16-time Oscar-nominee Diane Warren. The promotion of these song performances will undoubtedly draw a larger viewing audience. But most importantly, in a time when Los Angeles, the home of filmmaking, has lost entire communities and with so many people affected, music has the power to inspire and heal – a message reflected in the Oscar-nominated songs. [Here Irwin quoted healing lyrics from four of the five nominated songs.]
With the quality of the talent assembled to produce The Oscars, there must be a way to accommodate even abbreviated renditions of the nominated songs during the show. I respectfully urge you to reconsider your decision and let the songs provide the hope and inspiration to the audience that they do in their respective films.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ashley Irwin
President of the Society of Composer & Lyricists
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The 97th Oscars nominations list was unveiled on Thursday (Jan. 23) and naturally, film fans online have plenty to say. With the Oscars trending on the X platform, the reactions from moviegoers and observers are all over the place.
The 97th Annual Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, will take place next month with Conan O’Brien hosting, replacing Jimmy Kimmel from a year prior.
Top of the ticket, the Best Picture nominees are Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked.
One of the more impassioned replies on X seemed to be aimed at Emilia Pérez notching 13 nominations, the most by a non-English-language movie in Oscars history. Wicked earned 10 nominations total, with the film’s leads Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande both nominated in their roles. The Substance, starring Demi Moore, also earned five nominations.
Some snubs were mentioned by a few with Denzel Washington’s role in Gladiator II seemingly overlooked, along with Nicole Kidman in Babygirl and Angelina Jolie in Maria among others. Fan favorite actor Colman Domingo earned an Actor in a Leading Role for his role in Sing Sing, going against Timothée Chalamet, Adrien Brody, Ralph Fiennes, and Sebastian Stan.
In the Actress in a Leading Role category, the aforementioned Cynthia Erivo was nominated for her role in Wicked. Karla Sofía Gascón, Mikey Madison, Demi Moore, and Fernanda Torres round out the nominees there.
To see the full listing of the 97th Oscars (Academy Awards) nominees, please click here.
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Photo: Getty
If you were expecting to see live performances of the five best original song nominees on the 97th annual Academy Awards on March 2, be prepared for something different this year.
Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and Janet Yang, Academy president, sent a letter to Academy members on Wednesday (Jan. 22) in which they said, “This year the Best Original Song category presentation will move away from live performances and will be focused on the songwriters. We will celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life. All of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.”
This is reminiscent of something the Grammy Awards did in 1981, when they had the songwriters of the song of the year nominees perform and discuss the nominated songs. As David Wild wrote in the 2007 book And the Grammy Goes To… The Official Story of Music’s Most Coveted Award, “One innovative moment came at the end of the show. Many years before shows like MTV’s Unplugged or VH1’s Storytellers, this Grammy show presented a group of songwriters nominated for song of the year – including Amanda McBroom (‘The Rose’), Christopher Cross (‘Sailing’), Fred Ebb and John Kander (‘New York, New York’), Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore (‘Fame’) and Lionel Richie (‘Lady’) – to both explain and perform stripped-down versions of the songs. It was a vivid reminder of the power of the songwriter.”
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In their letter to academy members, Kramer and Yang also wrote “We are thrilled to bring back our ‘Fab 5’ moments, where individual film artists recognize nominees.” This refers to a technique first used on the 2009 Oscar telecast and revived last year, in which five previous winners in each of the four acting categories take turns lauding this year’s nominees.
(In a press conference days before the 2024 Oscars telecast, Raj Kapoor, executive producer and showrunner of the 2024 and 2025 Oscars, said he loved those introductions on the 2009 show and revived the idea. “It was this lovely storytelling,” he said. “And, again, it came down to connection. It was past winners speaking to present nominees, and just that lovely connection and that human interaction.”)
Kramer and Yang also said that the show will pay tribute to Los Angeles, which has experienced devastating wildfires in recent weeks. “We will reflect on the recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism that defines Los Angeles and our industry.”
Here’s the letter from Kramer and Yang in full:
Dear Academy members,
Our deepest thanks to all of you for your compassion and support over the last few weeks. Our thoughts remain with those who were impacted by the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires. If you would like to join the Academy in supporting the ongoing relief efforts, please click here for a list of aid resources.
After continued consultation with ABC, our board, and other key stakeholders in the Los Angeles and film communities, planning continues for the 97th Oscars ceremony on Sunday, March 2. This year’s Oscars will celebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires.
As a reminder, our 97th Oscars Nominations will be announced tomorrow, January 23, at 5:30am PT via global live stream on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, the Academy’s digital platforms (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook), ABC’s Good Morning America, and ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. American Sign Language (ASL) services will be available on YouTube.
As a precursor to tomorrow’s announcement, we wanted to share a little bit about this year’s show. Hosted by the incredible Conan O’Brien, our 97th Oscars will be a celebration of connection and collaboration – honoring the unifying spirit and creative synergy of moviemaking. We will highlight the transformative power of the teamwork that brings cinematic visions to life.
As part of this, we are thrilled to bring back our “Fab 5” moments, where individual film artists recognize nominees. Also, this year the Best Original Song category presentation will move away from live performances and will be focused on the songwriters. We will celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life. All of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.
And we will honor Los Angeles as the city of dreams, showcasing its beauty and resilience, as well as its role as a beacon for filmmakers and creative visionaries for over a century. We will reflect on the recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism that defines Los Angeles and our industry.
There is so much more in store, including powerful musical moments that connect film’s rich history to its bold and inspiring future. We hope you will tune in tomorrow morning to watch the Nominations Announcement, and we greatly appreciate your ongoing commitment to the Academy and our film community. We are stronger together.
Bill Kramer and Janet Yang
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced updates to its 2025 Oscars key dates and schedule of events due to the impact of the Los Angeles-area fires. The Oscar telecast is still set for March 2, but the nominations announcement is being delayed for the second time to Jan. 23 — and will now be held virtually. The Oscars nominees luncheon, always an A-list event, will not be held this year.
“We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced by so many in our community,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a joint statement. “The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship.
“Due to the still-active fires in the Los Angeles area, we feel it is necessary to extend our voting period and move the date of our nominations announcement to allow additional time for our members.
“Additionally, as we want to be sensitive to the infrastructure and lodging needs of the region in these next few weeks, it is imperative that we make some changes to our schedule of events, which we believe will have the support of our industry.
“Our members always share how important it is for us to come together as a community, and we are determined to use this opportunity to celebrate our resilient and compassionate industry. We also look forward to honoring our frontline workers who have aided with the fires, recognizing those impacted, and encouraging people to join the Academy in supporting the relief efforts.
“We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community.”
Updates are outlined as follows:
The nominations voting period is extended through Friday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m. PT. The voting window was originally set to close on Sunday, Jan. 12. That was pushed back to Tuesday, Jan. 14, before being pushed back again today.
The nominations announcement is rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 a.m. PT. The live announcement will be a virtual event without in-person media coverage. The nominations were originally set to be announced on Friday, Jan. 17, which was pushed back to Sunday, Jan. 19, before being pushed back again today.
The Oscars nominees luncheon, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 10, will not be held this year.
The Scientific and Technical Awards, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, will be rescheduled to a later date yet to be determined.
The Academy stresses that all dates are subject to change.
The 97th Oscars, hosted by Conan O’Brien for the first time, will still be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and air live in more than 200 territories worldwide.