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The 2022 Academy Awards served as the ultimate rollercoaster ride of emotions for Will Smith, who won best actor honors for his role in King Richard, but also delivered the infamous slap across host Chris Rock’s face on stage for jokes made about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
The actor-rapper received a 10-year ban from the Oscars, and had the option to appeal. The Associated Press caught up with Smith on Monday (March 24), during which he reflected on his actions and explained how he’s planning to move forward.
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“I am looking to be the best human I can possibly be, and I’m gonna take what I get with that,” the 56-year-old said.
Smith has since resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has been apologetic to Rock for slapping him onstage following a G.I. Jane joke about Pinkett-Smith.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” Smith wrote in 2022. “I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.”
Rock hasn’t been open to speaking with Smith yet, but didn’t rule out returning as host for the Oscars at some point in the future.
“You never know. This is what I would say, the most miserable people on earth are people that can’t forgive,” the comedian said earlier in March. “And not just people, you have to forgive yourself sometimes, too. So, hey, you never know.”
On the music side, Smith is returning with his first album in 20 years, Based On a True Story. The LP arrives on Friday (March 28), and he’ll be hitting the road this summer for a tour across Europe and the U.K.
“A well opened up inside of me, a well of understanding of art and pain … all kinds of things that I didn’t even know were in there,” Smith told Billboard in January of his rejuvenated hunger for music. “Then after the Oscars, that spiritual investigation continued and a whole world woke up inside that I didn’t even know was there.”
Watch Will Smith talk about his Oscar ban below.
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Will Smith is more than likely never going to live down the infamous Oscars moment in 2022 when he approached host Chris Rock and delivered a slap heard around the world. In the years since, Will Smith has refocused on his acting craft and continued introspection, and in a new interview, he talks about that journey ahead of his new studio album.
Will Smith sat down with the Associated Press to discuss his upcoming fifth studio album, Based On A True Story, his creative aims for the year, and so much more. The article opens up with Smith, 56, explaining the focus and aims of the album while also using the project as a way of sharing with the world his path and the way ahead after the controversial Oscars moment when he slapped Chris Rock in 2022.
“I’ve taken the last couple of years to really do a deep dive on the parts of me that may or may not been in that level of certainty and asking those deep scary internal questions,” Smith explains.
Smith added, “It really is the result of my initial self-examination. Every song is about some part of myself that I discovered or wanted to explore, something I wanted to share. It’s the most full musical offering that I’ve ever created.”
Of course, the topic of Smith’s 10-year ban from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences could not be avoided, and he’s clearly shown remorse by way of apologizing to Rock via an open letter and video, which appears to still have gone unanswered in many respects. When asked if he would appeal the academy’s ban, Smith gave an answer that illustrates that he’s hoping to move on beyond the slap heard around the world.
“I am looking to be the best human I can possibly be, and I’m gonna take what I get with that,” Smith said.
Will Smith’s Based On A True Story drops this Friday (March 28) and is said to be the first of three albums the Philadelphia native intends to drop this year. He is also working on several film and television projects, including a sequel to the superhero action film, Hancock.
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Well, that was fast. Just two weeks after Conan O’Brien hosted the Oscars for the first time, the Motion Picture Academy announced that he will be back to host the 2026 show. O’Brien is the first first-time host to host again the following year since Jimmy Kimmel in 2017-18.
“The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” O’Brien said with characteristic dry wit. (The best actor winner set a new record for the longest acceptance speech – it clocked in at 5:36 – in Oscar history.)
It can’t be a coincidence that the Oscars chose to make the announcement on St. Patrick’s Day. O’Brien was famously raised in an Irish Catholic family. The host announcement is much earlier in the year than normal, a strong vote of confidence in the new host. Last year, the Academy announced O’Brien as host on Nov. 15. O’Brien’s success as an Oscars host makes up for his bumpy, eight-month run as host of another legendary franchise, The Tonight Show, in 2009-10.
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O’Brien, 61, has won five Primetime Emmys. He is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on March 23.
Last week, the Golden Globes made a similarly early announcement that they are bringing back first-time host Nikki Glaser to host their 2026 show.
The 2025 Oscars, held on March 2, delivered a five-year high in both total viewers (19.69 million) and adults 18-49 (4.54 rating) and ranked as the No. 1 primetime entertainment telecast in both total viewers and adults for the 2024-25 season. The show earned 104.2 million total social interactions, ranking as the No. 1 most social TV program for the season to date, outperforming both The Grammy Awards (102.2 million interactions) and The Super Bowl (62.4 million) this season for the first time on record.
The 2026 Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. It’s the third year in a row that the telecast will start at 4 p.m. on the West Coast – in an effort to make it so that East Coast viewers can find out who wins the biggest awards before they go to bed. (This year’s show ended at 10:50 p.m. ET, making that goal a reality for all but the earliest risers.)
The show has aired on ABC every year since 1976, when that network took over from NBC, which had aired it in the five previous years. The Academy’s current deal with ABC, signed in 2016, allows it to televise the show through 2028, which will be the year of the show’s 100th anniversary.
An Academy statement did not mention Hulu, which livestreamed the show this year for the first time. Technical glitches marred the livestream.
The show will again be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Theater in Hollywood, its home base for every year but one since 2002. (The best-forgotten 2021 pandemic show was held at the Union Station in downtown L.A.)
Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will return as the show’s executive producers for the third consecutive year. They first served in that capacity in 2024, when Kimmel hosted. They each won Primetime Emmys for outstanding variety special (live) for that show. Kapoor had previously won for outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) for his work on Adele: One Night Only.
“We are both so honored to be returning in our roles for the 98th Oscars,” Kapoor and Mullan said in a joint statement. “We can’t wait to work with Conan and his entire team as we continue to explore even more special and heartfelt opportunities to celebrate next year’s nominees and the impact of film around the world.”
Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will return as producers for a second time. Sweeney will also serve as a writer. Sweeney has won three Primetime Emmys for previous productions with O’Brien. Ross has won one.
“We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 98th Oscars!” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang in a joint statement. “This year, they produced a hugely entertaining and visually stunning show that celebrated our nominees and the global film community in the most beautiful and impactful way. Conan was the perfect host – skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence. It is an honor to be working with them again.”
Acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer has reflected on his inability to add another Academy Award to his shelf thanks to Dune: Part Two, noting his disqualification was simply due to a “a stupid rule.”
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The German composer has spent more than 35 years working on crafting scores for Hollywood films, with his efforts resulting in two Academy Awards for his efforts. From 12 nominations at the Oscars, Zimmer has taken home the best original score award just twice, once in 1995 for The Lion King, and again in 2022 for his work on Dune.
With director Denis Villeneuve releasing Dune: Part Two in March 2024, many fans could have expected Zimmer to add another feather to his cap thanks to the nascent entry in the franchise. However, in October, Variety reported that Zimmer’s score for the film was deemed ineligible for submission to the Academy Awards due to “surpassing the Academy’s limit on pre-existing music.”
According to the Academy’s rule: “In cases such as sequels and franchises from any media, the score must not use more than 20% of pre-existing themes and music borrowed from previous scores in the franchise.” Due to Zimmer’s score for Dune: Part Two incorporating elements and key cues from the Oscar-winning score to 2021’s Dune, it was therefore deemed ineligible for submission.
Though Villeneuve and the film’s team were undeterred in their efforts for Zimmer to be recognized for his work, the score was ultimately disqualified and did not appear on the ballot for consideration. The film did however receive a total of five nominations, taking home best sound and best visual effects at the ceremony on March 2.
In a new interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Zimmer reflected on the small controversy when host Josh Horowitz asked if the disqualification was a “sore point” for the composer.
“It’s not really a sore point. It’s just such a stupid point – how can it be a sore point?” Zimmer asked. “I got disqualified because I was using material from the first movie in the second movie, but it’s not a sequel. It is the completion of the arc, both movies are one arc.
“So was I supposed to go and take all the character themes away and write new character themes and develop them?” he added. “It’s just a stupid rule. What I didn’t want to do is go and bitch about it.”
Zimmer’s recent comments also continue on from what he told Variety back in October, stating his belief that Dune: Part Two is simply a continuation of the narrative begun in the first film.
“It’s called Dune: Part Two, not Dune 2,” he explained. “The story starts the second we finish the first movie. We are still within that story, those characters, and it would be foolish and completely uncinematic to go and write new themes for the characters instead of enlarging the theme.”
Zimmer is planning to return for Villeneuve’s next film in the series, with Dune: Messiah reportedly set to begin filming in mid-2025.
Well, here’s a surprise: The audience for the Oscar telecast on Sunday (March 2), where indie film darling Anora led with five awards, showed a slight uptick from last year, when two certified blockbusters, Oppenheimer and Barbie, went head-to-head for best picture. Updated Nielsen data released Tuesday showed that the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre […]
Madonna and Guy Oseary hosted their annual Oscars afterparty on Sunday night (March 3) and, as usual, the event brought together winners holding their trophies as well as some of the biggest names in Hollywood. The Queen of Pop took to Instagram to share photos from the star-studded event, featuring behind-the-scenes getting ready pictures, snaps […]
Source: MICHAEL TRAN / Getty / Megan Thee StallionMegan Thee Stallion definitely stole the show at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party with her head turning drip.Fresh off her birthday celebration abroad, the Houston rapper popped out and bared all, well almost, taking a page out of Lil Kim’s book, but opting to have both breasts out, instead of just one.Thee Stallion had jaws dropping in her olive-green gown, which featured feather details and an open back paired with two barely there nipple parties styled by Erica Archibald. She also wore her hair up to complement the look.Source: Taylor Hill / Getty
Speaking about her look on the Vanity Fair Oscar Party red carpet she said, “I just really wanted to give like ‘she’s baring it all at Vanity Fair.”
“She’s definitely giving Poison Ivy,” she continued.
While the hotties were here for the look, Megan Thee Stallion’s dress definitely garnered plenty of negative reactions.
“Gorgeous woman but this pasty looks like she went right on Amazon and bought it the night before. Same with when Nicki did it years ago. Lil Kim did it best: hers felt like a part of the outfit and not an accessory,” one user on X, formerly Twitter said.
Another user on X wrote, “this could’ve been executed way better, a chop sista.”
Damn.
Earlier in the day, Megan Thee Stallion attended the 33rd annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party, where she served on the event’s hosting committee.
For that look, she showed off the curves, but kept things more tamed in terms of having g
Source: Michael Kovac / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion
If you think Megan Thee Stallion’s looks were a miss, we will leave that up to you. You can see more photos in the gallery below.
1. 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals
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Megan Thee Stallion at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones held at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images) vertical,color image,photography,arts culture and entertainment,usa,california,entertainment event,vanity fair oscar party,oscar party,beverly hills – california,wallis annenberg center for the performing arts,megan thee stallion,radhika jones
2. 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Inside
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BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE Megan Thee Stallion attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/VF25/WireImage for Vanity Fair) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,arts culture and entertainment,usa,california,entertainment event,vanity fair oscar party,oscar party,beverly hills – california,wallis annenberg center for the performing arts,megan thee stallion,radhika jones
3. 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals
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BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: Megan Thee Stallion attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,people,full length,one person,arts culture and entertainment,usa,looking at camera,arrival,film industry,california,fashion,award,awards ceremony,entertainment event,vanity fair oscar party,oscar party,beverly hills – california,wallis annenberg center for the performing arts,megan thee stallion,radhika jones
4. 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals
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BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: Megan Thee Stallion attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,arts culture and entertainment,usa,topix,film industry,california,fashion,award,awards ceremony,entertainment event,vanity fair oscar party,oscar party,beverly hills – california,wallis annenberg center for the performing arts,megan thee stallion,radhika jones
5. 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals
Source:Getty
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: Megan Thee Stallion attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,arts culture and entertainment,usa,film industry,california,fashion,award,awards ceremony,entertainment event,vanity fair oscar party,oscar party,beverly hills – california,wallis annenberg center for the performing arts,megan thee stallion,radhika jones
6. 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals
Source:Getty
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: Megan Thee Stallion attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,arts culture and entertainment,usa,film industry,california,fashion,award,awards ceremony,entertainment event,vanity fair oscar party,oscar party,beverly hills – california,wallis annenberg center for the performing arts,megan thee stallion,radhika jones
7. 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals
Source:Getty
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: Megan Thee Stallion attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,arts culture and entertainment,usa,topix,film industry,california,fashion,award,awards ceremony,entertainment event,vanity fair oscar party,oscar party,beverly hills – california,wallis annenberg center for the performing arts,megan thee stallion,radhika jones
8. 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals
Source:Getty
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: Megan Thee Stallion attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,arts culture and entertainment,usa,film industry,california,fashion,award,awards ceremony,entertainment event,vanity fair oscar party,oscar party,beverly hills – california,wallis annenberg center for the performing arts,megan thee stallion,radhika jones
9. Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 33rd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party – Arrivals
Source:Getty
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: (Exclusive Coverage) Megan Thee Stallion attends the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 33rd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 02, 2025 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage) color image,photography,celebrities,arts culture and entertainment,horizontal,usa,california,west hollywood,annual event,elton john,oscar viewing party,aids,oscar party,megan thee stallion
10. Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 33rd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party – Arrivals
Source:Getty
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: Megan Thee Stallion attends the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 33rd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 02, 2025 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/FilmMagic) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,arts culture and entertainment,usa,arrival,music,rapper,california,west hollywood,fashion,annual event,red carpet event,elton john,oscar viewing party,aids,oscar party,black tie event,megan thee stallion,hip hop music
11. Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 33rd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party – Arrivals
Source:Getty
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: Megan Thee Stallion attends the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 33rd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 02, 2025 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/FilmMagic) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,arts culture and entertainment,usa,arrival,music,rapper,california,west hollywood,fashion,annual event,red carpet event,elton john,oscar viewing party,aids,oscar party,black tie event,megan thee stallion,hip hop music
It’s only two days past the 2025 Oscars, so some may think it’s too soon to start thinking about the 2026 Oscars. But it’s not too early to consider that history could be made: Wicked: For Good, the upcoming sequel to Wicked, could become the most nominated film sequel in Oscar history.
If it repeats its 10 nominations from this year and picks up two more, it would set a new record. If it picks one more, it would tie the record, which is currently jointly held by The Godfather Part II, which received 11 nods in 1975, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the third installment in that franchise, which received 11 nods in 2004.
Even if Wicked: For Good merely matched Wicked’s tally of 10 nods, it would become one of the most nominated sequels in history. It would tie Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth installment in that franchise, which received 10 nods in 2015.
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Wicked’s 10 nominations this year were best picture, best actress (Cynthia Erivo), best supporting actress (Ariana Grande), best costume design, best film editing, best makeup and hairstyling, best production design, best original score, best sound and best visual effects.
There are three categories where Wicked: For Good could improve on its performance from this year. Jon M. Chu was passed over for a nod as best director for Wicked. A nomination for Wicked: For Good could serve to acknowledge his work on both films. Jonathan Bailey was passed over for a best supporting actor nod. And according to reports, there will be two new songs in Wicked: For Good, which would both be eligible for best original song consideration. None of the songs in Wicked were new, and thus, were not eligible.
One of the new songs will be for Elphaba, the character played by Erivo; the other will be for Glinda, the character played by Grande. Erivo will be a co-writer on her song, which could be her easiest path to her first Oscar — and EGOT status. Erivo has won a Tony, a Grammy, and a Daytime Emmy, all for The Color Purple and related projects, but has yet to win an Oscar, despite three nods so far.
If Erivo becomes an EGOT at the 2026 Oscars, she will become the youngest woman to EGOT. That title is currently held by Jennifer Hudson, who was 40 years and nine months old in 2022 when she achieved the feat. Erivo will be about 39 years and two months old at the time of the 2026 Oscars; the exact date of the show hasn’t been announced.
But Erivo would not become the youngest EGOT overall, which she would have become if she had won Sunday for best actress. That distinction has long been held by songwriter and librettist Robert Lopez, who was 39 years and one week old in 2014 when he achieved the feat. Songwriter and producer Benj Pasek was 39 years and two months old in 2024 when he joined the exclusive club.
Erivo was nominated for best original song in 2020 for co-writing “Stand Up” from Harriet. She was also nominated for best actress for that film.
Stephen Schwartz, of course, would also make history if a song from Wicked: For Good won an Oscar. Schwartz has won two Oscars for best original song — for “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas and “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt. A third win would make him one of just 10 songwriters in Oscar history to win three with three songs.
The Oscars might be the biggest night for the film industry, but the 2025 awards show included some pretty epic music moments as well. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie tells Keith all about her night inside the Dolby Theatre for the 97th Academy Awards, where the Wicked duo of Ariana Grande and […]
Diane Warren lost the best original song award for the 16th time at the 2025 Oscars, but she’s keeping her characteristically good humor about it. The prolific songwriter was nominated for “The Journey,” sung by H.E.R. in The Six Triple Eight. Her first nod in the category came in 1987, for “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin. “I’m […]