State Champ Radio Academy Awards
Sabrina Carpenter loves Cillian Murphy so much that he’s got her talking nonsense. While preparing for the Academy Awards festivities on Sunday night (March 10), the pop star sang Murphy’s praises and told Vanity Fair what she would do if she ran into the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer star at an afterparty. “If I see Cillian Murphy, […]
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Will Smith and The Oscars will forever be linked after the slapping incident heard around the world involving the actor and Chris Rock. However, some on X are wondering out loud why Will Smith is banned for his actions but John Cena going nude on the Oscars stage got to fly without a hitch.
In a bit with Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel, John Cena presented the nominees for the Best Costume Design award. Cena’s state of undress was a callback to the 1974 Academy Awards ceremony where a naked streaker took to the stage.
Cena elected not to run across the stage but instead was naked save for covering the front of his privates with the nominee list. The award was given to Holly Waddington, who worked on the film, Poor Things.
While the moment was focused on being comedic at its root, it appears some on X are wondering how the academy heads let this fly and Smith was hit with a decade-long ban from the festivities.
There are also folks online calling the moment for Cena a “humiliation ritual” as a part of whatever phantom Hollywood cabal’s initiation practices. We’ll leave that one alone for all the reasons one can imagine.
As it stands, Will Smith is trending on X, formerly Twitter, and we’ve got reactions to John Cena’s moment below.
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Photo: Getty
“Fan it,” instructs Emily Blunt with a bit of humor, speaking of her dress’ train as she prepares to enter the Dolby Theater’s main floor seating. Meanwhile, a showrunner whispers into her walkie-talkie that Bradley Cooper should really be in his seat by now for the top of the show as Mark Ronson and wife […]
There weren’t many nail-biters at the 2024 Oscars, which were presented on Sunday (March 10) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Everybody knew Oppenheimer would dominate, which it did, winning seven awards on the night. There was a moderate upset in the lead actress category when Emma Stone won best actress for Poor Things over […]
Billie Eilish and Finneas entered the Oscar record books on Sunday (March 10) by winning best original song for their Barbie ballad “What Was I Made For?,” two years after winning with their title song from the James Bond film No Time to Die.
They became the youngest two-time Oscar winners in history – in any category. Eilish, 22, and Finneas, 26, took that distinction from actress Luise Rainer, who won her second Oscar (for The Good Earth) at age 28. Next on the leaderboard are Jodie Foster, who won her second Oscar (for Silences of the Lambs) at 29, and Hilary Swank, who won her second Oscar (for Million Dollar Baby) at 30.
This was also the fastest repeat win in the best original song category by any songwriter since Tim Rice won three times in the space of five years in the 1990s (with different collaborators each time).
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Eilish and Finneas are the first songwriting team to win best original song twice in the space of three years since Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman won with “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid in 1990 and the title song from Beauty and the Beast in 1992. Here’s an updated list of all songwriters who have won in this category twice in the space of three years in Oscar history.
Also, “What Was I Made For?,” which won the Grammy for song of the year on Feb. 4, is the first song in a generation to win both the Oscar for best original song and the Grammy for song of the year. The last song to win both awards was “My Heart Will Go On,” the love theme from Titanic. Here’s an updated list of all songs to win both the Grammy for song of the year and the Oscar for best original song.
“What Was I Made For?” is the second winner for best original song from a film that was solely directed by a woman. Greta Gerwig directed Barbie. Ava DuVernay directed Selma, which spawned the 2014 winner, “Glory,” which was written and performed by John Legend and Common. Two films that were co-directed by women spawned best original song winners. The Prince of Egypt, co-directed by Brenda Chapman, gave us “When You Believe.” Frozen, co-directed by Jennifer Lee, spawned “Let It Go.”
Ludwig Göransson won best original score for Oppenheimer, five years after he won for Black Panther. Göransson is one of just five composers or composing teams to win twice in this category since 2000. He follows Howard Shore (the second and third installments in The Lord of the Rings franchise), Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain and Babel), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Social Network and Soul) and Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Sound of Water).
Oppenheimer won a night-leading seven Oscars, including best picture, followed by Poor Things with four and The Zone of Interest with two. No other film won more than one Oscar.
Killers of the Flower Moon was shut out, despite 10 nominations. It’s director Martin Scorcese’s third film to go 0-10 on Oscar night, following Gangs of New York (2002) and The Irishman (2019).
Oppenheimer has grossed $329.3 million at the domestic boxoffice, which is the fourth-highest total for any Oscar-winning best picture in history. It trails only Titanic ($674.3 million), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (379.4 million) and Forrest Gump ($330.5 million).
Oppenheimer is the fifth film since 2000 to win for both best picture and best original score. It follows The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Slumdog Millionaire, The Artist and The Shape of Water.
Christopher Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas were among the producers who won best picture Oscars for Oppenheimer (in tandem with Charles Roven). They are the first married couple to win for best picture since Richard D. Zanuck and Lil Fini Zanuck won for producing Driving Miss Daisy, the 1989 winner. Another married couple won on the night. Justine Triet and her husband, Arthur Harari, won best original screenplay for Anatomy of a Fall.
Emma Stone won best actress for the second time for Poor Things in an upset over Lily Gladstone, who was seen as having a slight edge for Killers of the Flower Moon. Stone won seven years ago for La La Land. Stone was the only one of this year’s acting winners who had won previously.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph won best supporting actress for The Holdovers. She’s the 10th Black actress to win in that category, compared to just one in the lead actress category – Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball.
Wes Anderson finally won his first Oscar for best live-action short film for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, on which he collaborated with Steven Rales. Anderson had received seven previous nominations in a wide range of categories for his work on The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel (three nominations) and Isle of Dogs. Unfortunately, Anderson was a no-show on the night he won his first Oscar.
WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko won best animated short. The film’s title was inspired by “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” a 1971 song by John & Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. John Lennon won an Oscar 53 years ago, along with the other former Beatles, for Let It Be. That film project won for best original song score, a category that still exists but has long been on hiatus, owing to an insufficient number of entries.
The Boy and the Heron won best animated feature film, in what was seen as a close contest with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Hayao Miyazaki, who won for The Boy and the Heron, won in the same category 21 years ago for Spirited Away. The Japanese-bornMiyazaki is the first person who was born outside the U.S. to win twice in this category. Here’s an updated list of all winners of best animated feature.
Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot took the documentary (short subject) award for The Last Repair Shop, about a shop in Los Angeles that repairs musical instruments for schools. Bowers, who is also a noted film composer, and Proudfoot were nominated in this same category three years ago for A Concerto Is a Conversation.
Godzilla Minus One won best visual effects. It was the first win – or even nomination – for a Godzilla movie.
This long awards season will come to an end on Sunday (March 10) when the 96th Oscars are presented at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Oppenheimer is expected to be the night’s big winner, with eight or so awards. Barbie didn’t get as much awards season love as expected, but it is likely to finish second on the night with two Oscars. No other film is expected to win more than one award, though there are often surprises.
All five nominated songs will be performed on the show. Billie Eilish and Finneas will perform “What Was I Made For?,” which is expected to win best original song. It will be third Oscar performance in five years. They sang The Beatles’ poignant “Yesterday” as the In Memoriam song four years ago and their nominated “No Time to Die” two years ago. (That James Bond song went on to win the award).
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Becky G will perform “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot. It will be her second performance, but her first in the solo spotlight. She was one of eight artists featured on “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto two years ago. That song wasn’t nominated, but it was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, so Oscar producers booked the performance anyway. (They’re no dummies.)
Ryan Gosling is set to perform “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie in tandem with the song’s co-writer, Mark Ronson. It will be Gosling’s first Oscar performance. He and Emma Stone declined to perform the nominated “City of Stars” from La La Land (the eventual winner) seven years ago.
If it seems like the presenters list is especially long this year, and includes an oddly high percentage of past Oscar winners, you’re on to something. The Oscars will revive a presentation tactic last used 15 years ago in which five former winners in each of the four acting categories will individually pay tribute to this year’s nominees and then award this year’s winners, in effect welcoming them to the club.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the stars of the upcoming Wicked, were both announced as presenters. It would not be a surprise if they did something together.
The Oscars have not yet announced who will perform in the In Memoriam spot.
Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the fourth time, the 96th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 10 at the new, earlier time of 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner. Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan are also executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing the show. Rickey Minor is music director.
Here are the performers and presenters who have been announced for the 2024 Oscars.
Performers
Ryan Gosling with Mark Ronson, “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
Billie Eilish with Finneas, “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie
Jon Batiste, “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony
Becky G, “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot
Scott George with The Osage Singers, “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon
Presenters
Mahershala Ali
Emily Blunt
Bad Bunny
Nicolas Cage
Jamie Lee Curtis
Cynthia Erivo
America Ferrera
Sally Field
Brendan Fraser
Ryan Gosling
Ariana Grande
Chris Hemsworth
Dwayne Johnson
Michael Keaton
Regina King
Ben Kingsley
Jessica Lange
Jennifer Lawrence
Melissa McCarthy
Matthew McConaughey
Kate McKinnon
Rita Moreno
John Mulaney
Lupita Nyong’o
Catherine O’Hara
Al Pacino
Michelle Pfeiffer
Ke Huy Quan
Issa Rae
Tim Robbins
Sam Rockwell
Octavia Spencer
Steven Spielberg
Mary Steenburgen
Anya Taylor-Joy
Charlize Theron
Christoph Waltz
Forest Whitaker
Michelle Yeoh
Ramy Youssef
Zendaya
In the 96-year history of the Academy Awards, just 15 films have won eight or more Oscars. Oppenheimer has a good chance of joining them when the 2024 Oscars are presented at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday (March 10). The three-hour drama is expected to win eight awards, including best picture, best director […]
The creative team behind the 2024 Oscars is lifting an idea from the 2009 Oscars, when they had five past winners in each of the four acting categories pay tribute to the current nominees before announcing this year’s winner.
In a press conference Wednesday (March 6) on Zoom, four days before the Oscars telecast on March 10, Raj Kapoor, executive producer and showrunner of the Oscars, said “I think one of the things we’re most excited about is what we call Fab Five. We did a deep dive into so many of the past Oscar shows, and even though we’ve been a part of previous shows, even though I think all of us have watched the show since we were kids, we always feel like we learn.
“So, we went back, we did a deep dive into Oscars history, and one of the best moments that we loved, and has not been repeated till this year, was the year that Bill Condon [screenwriter of Gods and Monsters and Chicago] did it, and it was this lovely storytelling. And, again, it came down to connection. It was past winners speaking to present nominees, and just that lovely connection and that human interaction.
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“And so we thought we’d love to try it again. So, we tasked Erin [Irwin], who is one of our other producers, and she’s done an amazing job. … And so during the show in our acting categories, five former winners will present to the five nominees, and we think it’s just going to be a great piece of storytelling and connection at home that you will maybe get to hear these personal stories and these personal interactions, and you get to root for your favorite actor or actress in this really personal way. So, we’re really excited to have that come to life.”
If you missed the 2009 show, Whoopi Goldberg, Goldie Hawn, Anjelica Huston, Eva Marie Saint and Tilda Swinton presented the nominees for best supporting actress.
Alan Arkin, Cuba Gooding Jr., Joel Grey, Kevin Kline and Christopher Walken presented the nominees for best supporting actor.
Halle Berry, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren and Shirley MacLaine presented the nominees for best actress.
Adrien Brody, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley presented the nominees for best actor.
While the Academy has not yet announced who will be presenting which awards this year, these announced presenters have won in these categories. (Jessica Lange and Al Pacino have won in both lead and support. We put them where they seemed likeliest to land on Sunday).
Best actress: Sally Field, Charlize Theron, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Yeoh
Best actor: Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, Nicolas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Matthew McConaughey
Best supporting actress: Mary Steenburgen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Regina King, Rita Moreno, Lupita Nyong’o, Octavia Spencer
Best supporting actor: Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Al Pacino
In addition, the show has booked Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, stars of the upcoming film Wicked, as presenters. It’s a good bet they’ll do something together.
Rickey Minor, who is serving as music director of the Oscars for the fourth time in the past six years, was also on the panel. He was asked how he picks the music to play on the show, and explained some of the obvious factors – looking for a range of emotions and a diversity of source material. “But it’s about the energy of the room,” he said. “So, we have a plan, but I’ll call an audible just like that. You know, if I feel the audience needs something that needs to pump them up, I’ve got it right in the pocket. And so the band’s always ready. And I think they love it, too, because they never know what’s coming.”
Kapoor added, “This year, the orchestra is live on our stage. So, we are celebrating 42 incredible musicians that will be seen throughout the evening. … And we are treating the music performances very different. Sometimes, it’s full orchestration. Sometimes, they may be a little bit more intimate. And that will lend itself when we get to the In Memoriam performance.”
In response to a question from the session’s moderator, Rotten Tomatoes’ awards editor Jacqueline Coley, Kapoor spoke highly of Jimmy Kimmel, who is hosting the Oscars for the fourth time.
“I could not speak more highly of anybody than Jimmy,” he said. “He’s been an amazing partner, and he has just been so involved from the very beginning in the summer. He’s involved in all our creative decisions, from the presenters to pairings to the pace of the show to musical performances. Like, Jimmy’s touch, he is a producer on this show. He is one of our partners, and he has a really strong creative vision. And I think what makes him so great is just his investment. We don’t just get him for rehearsals this week. We get him for months before.”
The panelists were asked which was their favorite Oscar show they had worked on. Molly McNearney, executive producer of the Oscar telecast and an executive producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, had a surprising answer – the show seven years ago that was capped by the biggest debacle in Oscar history, when La La Land was named best picture before the award was presented to the rightful winner, Moonlight.
“This might be an unpopular answer, but when there was the mix-up with the envelope, I actually enjoyed the spontaneity of a moment because when Jimmy is in an uncomfortable situation, that’s where he’s most comfortable,” McNearney said. “And I think that when there’s moments you don’t expect in a live television broadcast, I think we’re in really great hands with this team.”
McNearney also spoke to the process of writing the monologue. “You know, the monologue is scripted,” she said. “It gets reworked up until the very last minute. He will obsess now over every joke. He has pages and pages and pages. He has a rough outline of the monologue that I read this morning that I think is brilliant. I know it will change six more times before Sunday. But then there are those moments in the show that are completely unscripted. There have been several in every show he’s ever hosted. And those are the moments I love the most because we get to be surprised.”
Katy Mullan, executive producer, spoke to an interactive portion on this year’s show involving a QR code. “One of the really successful parts of last year’s show was profiles of a lot of the nominees, and they got huge, huge views from global audiences. So, at the end of each act, there will be a QR code, and people can scan that and go to the Academy website where they can watch profiles of a ton of the people that are nominated. They’re beautifully made by The Academy team and really insightful.”
“And there’s also an ability to go and watch the speeches from the Governors Awards, which happened earlier this year. … It was a really, really memorable night. So, if you want to go and do a deep dive during the commercial breaks or after the Oscars, all of that content will be there.”
Rickey Minor has been busy lately, serving as music director of the Kennedy Center Honors in December and the Primetime Emmys in January, but there was never any question that he’d say yes to serving as music director of the 96th Oscars, which are set for Sunday (March 10).
“This is the crème de la crème,” he says of the Oscars. “We’re closing in on 100 years of this, so for me, this is an honor. Before me, there were many [music directors] and there will be many more after, but for now I am basking in the opportunity to create and to add value however I can.”
This will be the fourth time in six years that Minor has served as the Oscars’ music director. In the pandemic year of 2021, when a scaled-down show was held at Union Station in Los Angeles, Questlove took over as music director. The following year, Adam Blackstone got the nod, owing to a long-standing relationship he had with that year’s producers, Will Packer and Shayla Cowan.
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In addition to the Kennedy Center Honors and Primetime Emmys, Minor recently worked on the Governor’s Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the In Memoriam spot on the Grammys. His main contribution to the Grammy segment was the spot in which Stevie Wonder paid tribute to Tony Bennett. As he mentions Bennett, whom he calls “my hero,” Minor pulls a Bennett poster off the wall of his office to serve as a visual aid.
“Now that the strike is over, the year just kind of exploded,” Minor says of all this work, adding, “It’s a good problem to have.”
So, after these back-to-back-back shows, if he got another offer for a job after the Oscars, would he decline and say he needs a break? Don’t count on it. “I will show up at the opening of an envelope,” he says with a smile.
“I love this business and I love making music. So, I literally just drop everything and go and do it. For me, it’s a gift. Most people don’t get to wake up every day and do what they love.”
Asked what other music directors he learned the most from, Minor immediately mentions Quincy Jones, whose many trailblazing achievements include being the first Black music director on the Oscars.
“To see what he has done, and then for him to take me on and mentor me and help me through the business part of it [means a lot]. I would play for free because I love it so much,” he raves. “He said, ‘Don’t ever say that again. That’s the first rule.’ Now when people call me and say, ‘Hey, I’m just checking to see are you free on this day,’ I say ‘I’m never free. I’m available but I’m never free.’ He taught me the ins-and-outs of the business and how to prepare.
“There are so many more, including Harold Wheeler,” Minor continues. “As a young bass player, I did a lot of awards shows. When I became music director for Whitney Houston, I didn’t know what to ask for or how deals were done, so he helped me find an attorney to do the deal. I didn’t know the business side.”
Minor also credits Bill Ross and Bill Conti. “All those guys I worked under and really learned from watching.”
Minor learned that he had the job on the Oscars in October, but his appointment wasn’t announced until Feb. 9, as part of a larger announcement of this year’s Oscar team.
As music director, Minor takes charge of finding walk-on music for people booked on the show and music leading into and out of commercials. “We have some pieces from France, from Africa — from all over the world,” he says. Minor is trying to work in some songs that are new for the Oscars, as well as favorite pieces by such composers as Henry Mancini, Jones and Lalo Schifrin.
This year’s Oscars will include performances of all five nominated songs. Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson will perform “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie. Billie Eilish and Finneas will perform “What Was I Made For? From Barbie. Becky G will perform “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot. Jon Batiste will perform “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony. Scott George and The Osage Singers will perform “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon.
In addition, Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny and Zendaya have been announced as presenters, among others. Asked if Grande will also sing on the program, Minor is coy. “I want to hear her sing always,” Minor said. “She can sing the phone book and she’ll get your attention.”
Minor has received 15 Emmy Award nominations for outstanding music direction, winning twice. He has been nominated three times for his work on the Oscars, three times for The Kennedy Center Honors, twice for the Grammy Awards and twice for “Grammy Salutes” specials to the Bee Gees and Aretha Franklin. He has also been nominated for the following specials: Genius: A Night for Ray Charles, An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Chaka Khan, Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House, Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America and Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special.
The 96th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 10 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Foreigner is having a moment. The band, which is currently nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is also being saluted in an ad promoting the Oscars, which are set for March 10. The ad tweaks the title of Foreigner’s 1977 breakthrough hit “Feels Like the First Time” with the copy […]
