State Champ Radio OSCARS
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Queen Latifah is set to take part in a tribute to Quincy Jones on the 2025 Oscars, which is set to air on Sunday (March 2) from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The actor and musician performed on two tracks on Jones’ 1995 album Q’s Jook Joint.
The news was announced by Raj Kapoor, the telecast’s executive producer and showrunner, during a press conference on Zoom with the creative team. “One of the most exciting things that we’ve worked on this year is a musical performance that will tribute Quincy Jones,” he said.
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“We’ve planned and curated this beautiful moment that we hope will uplift the room, that will celebrate the spirit of Quincy and all of his greatness,” said Kapoor, who is co-executive producing the show for the second year in a row (and is part of the Oscars team for the ninth time). “It’s a beautiful moment, and we think it will be very celebratory and make everybody feel really good.”
It’s no surprise that Jones will be receive a special tribute on the show. The producer and musician, who died in November at age 91, made Oscar history many times. He was the first Black musician to be hired as music director on the annual Oscar telecast. In 1967, he became the first Black composer to receive an Oscar nomination for best original song. Jones is, to this day, the only Black composer with three nods in scoring categories, for his work on In Cold Blood (1967), The Wiz (1978) and The Color Purple (1985).
Will Smith, who starred in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which Jones executive produced, would have been a natural for the Jones tribute, but he was banned from all Academy Award events for 10 years in 2023 following his misbehavior on that year’s telecast.
Smith was part of the tribute to Jones on the Grammy Awards on Feb. 2. He shared memories of working with Jones on the show, which Kapoor also executive produced. The Grammys also featured musical tributes to the beloved musician by Herbie Hanock, Cynthia Erivo, Stevie Wonder, Lainey Wilson, Jacob Collier and Janelle Monáe.
In the Zoom conference, the Oscars’ first-time music director Michael Bearden said he has long walked in Jones’ footsteps. Both men were born on the south side of Chicago, moved to New York, and then moved to Los Angeles. “Quincy is really the blueprint of what I’m able to do,” he said.
While the creative team was reluctant to spoil surprises, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are expected to perform a Wicked medley to kick off the Oscars ceremony. Other performers on the show are Doja Cat, Raye and BLACKPINK’S LISA. The 97th Oscars will also feature a special appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
First-time show host Conan O’Brien explained the team’s reluctance. “You don’t tell people what you’re going to do. A magician told me that.”
O’Brien has hosted the Primetime Emmys twice (in 2002 and 2006) and the MTV Movie Awards (in 2014). But as he said, the Oscars are on another level. “The Oscars feels it’s all of that on steroids,” he said. “The Oscars team is incredibly professional. It’s like for the first time getting to drive a Ferrari. … I wanted to be part of this magical machine.”
O’Brien said he reached out to past hosts Billy Crystal and Jimmy Kimmel for advice. Crystal has hosted the show nine times; Kimmel, four times.
Kapoor announced there will be a charitable component to the show, as there was on the Grammys. “People will be able to interact, and they are free to donate if they would like to.”
Kapoor, Bearden and O’Brien were joined on the Zoom call by executive producer Katy Mullan, co-executive producer Rob Paine, producer and writer Mike Sweeney, writer Jon Macks, production designer Alana Billingsley and supervising choreographer Mandy Moore.
With the 97th Oscars coming up on Sunday March 2, we’re looking back at past Oscar ceremonies, and specifically, who presented the Oscar for best original song each year.
The late, great song and dance man Gene Kelly did the honors four times, more than anyone else in Oscar history. That’s fitting: Kelly starred in Singin’ in the Rain, which topped the American Film Institute’s 2006 list of AFI’s Greatest Movie Musicals. Kelly presented best original song in 1951, in 1975 (in tandem with Shirley MacLaine), in 1980 (with Olivia Newton-John, with whom he starred in the soon-to-be-released, ill-fated musical Xanadu) and in 1986 (with his Singin’ in the Rain costars Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor).
Six people are tied as runner-up, having presented best original song three times: They are Burt Bacharach, Angie Dickinson, Gregory Hines, Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah and John Travolta. J.Lo presented three times within four years (1999-2002), a record for most presenter assignments in the shortest time. (Not coincidentally, J.Lo landed three of her four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in those years.)
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Bacharach and Dickinson, Hollywood’s golden couple of the era, teamed to present the award in 1971 and 1976. Bacharach teamed with Ann-Margret to present the award in 1974. Dickinson teamed with Luciano Pavarotti to present it in 1981.
Six people who won Oscars for best original song also served as presenters in the category (obviously not in the same year they won). They are Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Barbra Streisand, Bacharach, and the team of Common and John Legend. The latter team presented in 2016, the year after their win for “Glory” from Selma. Prince, who presented in 2005, never won for best original song, but he did win for his song score to Purple Rain.
The reunion of the Singin’ in the Rain cast wasn’t the only cast reunion that Oscar show producers arranged in connection with this category. In 2013, 10 years after Chicago became the first musical in more than four decades to win best picture, that film’s stars, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah and Catharine Zeta-Jones, presented best original song.
In 1988, seven years after they teamed in the box-office hit Arthur, Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli co-presented the award (which had gone, in 1982, to “Arthur’s Theme”). In 1993, a decade after their collaboration on the Broadway cast album Lena Horne: A Lady and Her Music, Quincy Jones and Lena Horne co-presented the award. In 1996, a few years after they co-starred in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It, Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne co-presented the award.
In some cases, Oscar producers had people co-present to plug an upcoming movie in which they were to co-star. Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda co-presented in 2018, months before the release of Mary Poppins Returns. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande co-presented in 2024, months ahead of their teaming in Wicked.
In 2015, Idina Menzel and John Travolta teamed to present the award – one year after Travolta inexplicably mangled Menzel’s name on the Oscar stage while attempting to introduce her performance of “Let It Go” from Frozen. (He called her Adele Dazeem.) In this presentation teaming, Menzel jokingly introduced him as Glom Gazingo – and they gracefully put it to rest.
Some presenter pairings held symbolic meaning. In 1989, singer/dancer/actor Gregory Hines co-presented with Sammy Davis Jr., the top song and dance man of a previous generation. Davis began to develop symptoms of cancer five months after this appearance. He died of complications from throat cancer in May 1990.
In 1944, Dinah Shore became the first woman to present in this category. In 1984, the biracial Jennifer Beals, star of the previous year’s smash Flashdance, became the first person of color to present in this category. The youngest presenter was Miley Cyrus, who was just 17 in 2010 when she co-presented with Amanda Seyfried.
Bacharach and Dickinson weren’t the only married couple to present in the category. Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows presented in 1961, followed by Sonny & Cher in 1973. One parent and child separately presented in this category: In 1997, Goldie Hawn co-presented with her The First Wives Club co-stars Bette Midler and Diane Keaton. In 2023, Hawn’s daughter, Kate Hudson, co-presented with Janelle Monáe.
Pavarotti was the second classical star to present in the category. The first was conductor Leopold Stokowski in 1937.
Here is the presenter of the Oscar for best original song from the first year it was presented, 1935, to the present. The years shown are the year of the ceremony. Brief identifications are shown in the early years to help our younger readers. After that, you’re on your own.
1935: Irvin S. Cobb (author)
1936: Frank Capra (director)
1937: Leopold Stokowski (conductor)
1938: Irving Berlin (songwriter)
1939: Jerome Kern (songwriter)
1940: Gene Buck (president of ASCAP)
1941: B.G. DeSylva (songwriter, film producer, co-founder of Capitol Records)
1942: B.G DeSylva
1943: Irving Berlin
1944: Dinah Shore (singer)
1945: Bob Hope (comedian)
1947: Van Johnson (actor)
1948: Dinah Shore
1949: Kathryn Grayson (actress)
1950: Cole Porter (songwriter)
1951: Gene Kelly (actor)
1952: Donald O’Connor (actor)
1953: Walt Disney (film producer and entertainment mogul)
1954: Arthur Freed (lyricist and film producer)
1955: Bing Crosby (singer)
1956: Maurice Chevalier (singer)
1957: Carroll Baker (actress)
1958: Maurice Chevalier
1959: Sophia Loren & Dean Martin
1960: Doris Day
1961: Steve Allen & Jayne Meadows
1962: Debbie Reynolds
1963: Frank Sinatra
1964: Shirley Jones
1965: Fred Astaire
1966: Natalie Wood
1967: Dean Martin
1968: Barbra Streisand
1969: Frank Sinatra
1970: Candice Bergen
1971: Burt Bacharach & Angie Dickinson
1972: Joel Grey
1973: Sonny & Cher
1974: Burt Bacharach & Ann-Margret
1975: Gene Kelly & Shirley MacLaine
1976: Burt Bacharach & Angie Dickinson
1977: Neil Diamond
1978: Fred Astaire
1979: Ruby Keeler & Kris Kristofferson
1980: Gene Kelly & Olivia Newton-John
1981: Angie Dickinson & Luciano Pavarotti
1982: Bette Midler
1983: Olivia Newton-John
1984: Jennifer Beals, Matthew Broderick
1985: Gregory Hines
1986: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor & Debbie Reynolds
1987: Bernadette Peters
1988: Liza Minnelli & Dudley Moore
1989: Sammy Davis Jr. & Gregory Hines
1990: Paula Abdul & Dudley Moore
1991: Gregory Hines & Ann-Margret
1992: Shirley MacLaine & Liza Minnelli
1993: Lena Horne & Quincy Jones
1994: Whitney Houston
1995: Sylvester Stallone
1996: Angela Bassett & Laurence Fishburne
1997: Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton & Bette Midler
1998: Madonna
1999: Jennifer Lopez
2000: Cher
2001: Jennifer Lopez
2002: Jennifer Lopez
2003: Barbra Streisand
2004: Jack Black & Will Ferrell
2005: Prince
2006: Queen Latifah
2007: John Travolta & Queen Latifah
2008: John Travolta
2009: Zac Efron & Alicia Keys
2010: Miley Cyrus & Amanda Seyfried
2011: Jennifer Hudson
2012: Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis
2013: Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger & Catherine Zeta-Jones
2014: Jessica Beal & Jamie Foxx
2015: Idina Menzel & John Travolta
2016: Common & John Legend
2017: Scarlett Johansson
2018: Emily Blunt & Lin-Manuel Miranda
2019: Gal Gadot, Brie Larson & Sigourney Weaver
2021: Zendaya
2022: Jake Gyllenhaal & Zoë Kravitz
2023: Kate Hudson & Janelle Monáe
2024: Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
Six powerhouse women – Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, LISA of BLACKPINK, Queen Latifah and Raye – will perform at the 2025 Oscars on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show also will feature a special appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Erivo and Grande are 2025 Oscar nominees for their roles in Wicked. Queen Latifah was nominated in 2003 for her role in Chicago.
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Erivo and Grande are expected to open the Oscar telecast with one or more songs from Wicked. All of the songs featured in Wicked were taken from the Broadway musical, so none were nominated for best original song, but the score by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz was nominated for best original score. Wicked received a total of 10 nominations.
The other women are expected to participate in “performances celebrating the filmmaking community and some of its legends.”
When the Oscars announced that this year’s nominees for best original song would not be performed on the telecast (but that there would instead be a single spot focused on the songwriters of those songs), some feared that music would get short shrift on the awards show. This announcement proves that that is not the case.
Oscar producers historically have focused on the best original song nominees, but they have been known to pivot when doing so would yield a prized booking. Three years ago, the Oscars featured a performance of the Encanto song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, even though that song had not been submitted for Oscar consideration and was not nominated.
Raye performed her song “Oscar Winning Tears,” from her album My 21st Century Blues, on the Grammy telecast on Feb. 2, where she was a best new artist nominee. Raj Kapoor, executive producer and showrunner of the 2025 Oscars, was an executive producer of this year’s Grammy telecast as well. These bookings constitute major coups for the British star, who swept the Brit Awards a year ago.
Kapoor and Oscars executive producer Katy Mullan will continue to announce talent joining the show leading up to the ceremony.
Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the 2025 Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the official live red carpet show airing at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
02/21/2025
Clément Ducol and Camille have a chance to join this list for their work on Emilia Pérez.
02/21/2025
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The 97th Academy Awards are still more than a week away, but the nominations are in and the coveted best picture award is up for grabs. With a jam-packed lineup of nominees, it’s hard to pick a clear favorite in this year’s Oscar race.
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Emilia Pérez leads the pack with the most nominations of the night with 13, setting a record for a non-English movie. Tied for second, is A24’s The Brutalist and Wicked with 11 nods; A Complete Unknown and Conclave came in third with eight mentions each. Other best picture nominees include the blockbuster sci-fi, Dune: Part Two; the Neon darling, Anora; the international hit, I’m Still Here; the indie gem, Nickel Boys; and the viral horror, The Substance.
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It’s a long list of films, and unless you’re a pro Letterboxd reviewer, you probably haven’t seen every best picture nominee yet. Luckily, now you can without leaving the comfort of your own home. Almost every film has made their way online to streaming and video on-demand services to buy or rent.
If you’re feeling the Oscar buzz, check out our guide to watching every best picture nominee online below.
Where to Stream Every Best Picture Nominee
A Complete Unknown
Starring alongside Edward Norton, Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro, Timothée Chalamet completely transforms into the iconic Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown. The biopic paints a beautiful portrait of 1960 New York City as Dylan transforms the Greenwich Village folk scene forever.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Fred Berger, James Mangold and Alex Heineman, producers), best directing (James Mangold), best actor (Timothée Chalamet), best supporting actor (Edward Norton), best supporting actress (Monica Barbaro), best writing (Mangold, Jay Cocks), best costume design (Arianne Phillips), best sound (Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco)
Where to Stream: Available Feb. 24; pre-order at Apple TV, Prime Video
The Brutalist
Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce and Joe Alwyn star in this incredible story about a visionary architect who escapes postwar Europe to rebuild his life, career, and marriage in America.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Nick Gordon, Brian Young, Andrew Morrison, D.J. Gugenheim and Brady Corbet, producers), best directing (Brady Corbet), best actor (Adrien Brody), best supporting actor (Guy Pearce), best supporting actress (Felicity Jones), best writing (Corbet, Mona Fastvold), best cinematography (Lol Crawley), best editing (David Jancso), best original score (Daniel Blumberg), best production design (production design: Judy Becker, set decoration: Patricia Cuccia)
Where to Stream: Buy or rent on Apple TV, Prime Video
Conclave
Ralphn Fiennes shines as Cardinal Lawrence in this Vatican mystery thriller. While participating in the selection of a new pope, many deep secrets are brought to light that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. Jackman, producers), best actor (Ralph Fiennes), best supporting actress (Isabella Rossellini), best writing (Peter Straughan), best costume design (Lisy Christl), best editing (Nick Emerson), best original score (Volker Bertelmann), best production design (production design: Suzie Davies; set decoration: Cynthia Sleiter)
Where to Stream: Stream on Peacock
Wicked
The record-breaking musical stars everyone’s favorite celebrity duo, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The Jon M. Chu’s Wizard of Oz-inspired fantasy, based on the hit Broadway musical, also includes Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Marc Platt, Producer), best actress (Cynthia Erivo), best supporting actress (Ariana Grande), best costume design (Paul Tazewell), best editing (Myron Kerstein), best makeup and hairstyling (Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth), best original score (John Powell and Stephen Schwartz), best production design (production design: Nathan Crowley; set decoration: Lee Sandales, best sound (Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis), best visual effects (Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk and Paul Corbould)
Where to Stream: Coming to Peacock on March 21, buy or rent on Apple TV, Prime Video
Anora
Breakout star Mikey Madison steals the show in the Sean Baker-directed film about a young woman who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and marries the son of an oligarch. However, his family will go to great lengths to get the marriage annulled.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Alex Coco, Samantha Quan and Sean Baker, producers), best directing (Sean Baker), best actress (Mikey Madison), best supporting actor (Yura Borisov), best writing (Sean Baker), best editing (Sean Baker)
Where to Stream: Coming to Hulu on March 21. Buy or rent on Apple TV, Prime Video
Dune: Part Two
Denis Villeneuve’s epic sci-fi sequel is a grand spectacle with an even greater cast. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, as well as newcomers, Austin Butler and Florence Pugh, this film is meant to be seen on the largest screen possible.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe and Denis Villeneuve, producers), best cinematography (Greig Fraser), best production design (production design: Patrice Vermette, set decoration: Shane Vieau), best sound (Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill), best visual effects (Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe and Gerd Nefzer)
Where to Stream: Stream on Hulu + Max bundle
Emilia Pérez
The Jacques Audiard directed musical, starring Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Karla Sofía Gascón, centers around a Mexican lawyer who’s offered an unusual job to help a notorious cartel boss retire and transition into living as a woman.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Pascal Caucheteux and Jacques Audiard, producers), best directing (Audiard), best actress (Karla Sofía Gascón), best supporting actress (Zoe Saldaña), best writing (Audiard, in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi), best cinematography (Paul Guilhaume), best editing (Juliette Welfling), best makeup and hairstyling (Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini), best music (Clément Ducol and Camille), best original song (“El Mal” with music by Ducol and Camille; lyric by Ducol, Camille and Audiard), best original song (“Mi Camino” with music and lyric by Camille and Ducol), best international feature film (France), best sound (Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta)
Where to Stream: Stream on Netflix
I’m Still Here
Fernanda Torres stars as a mother of five who learns the truth behind the disappearance of her husband, former PTB deputy Rubens Paiva, while trying to keep her family together.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Maria Carlota Bruno and Rodrigo Teixeira, producers), best actress (Fernanda Torres), best international film feature (Brazil)
Where to Stream: Pre-order at Apple TV, Prime Video
Nickel Boys
Starring Brandon Wilson, Ethan Herisse and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Curtis, Nickel Boys centers around two black boys who strike up a friendship to navigate a punishing reformatory school in the Jim Crow South.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Joslyn Barnes, producers), best writing (Ross and Barnes)
Where to Stream: Buy or rent on Apple TV, Prime Video
The Substance
Demi Moore gives a career defining performance as a fading actress who injects herself with a mysterious serum that promises a younger, better version of herself, but things go horribly wrong.
Oscar nominations: Best picture (Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, producers), best directing (Fargeat), best actress (Demi Moore), best writing (Fargeat), best makeup and hairstyling (Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli)
Where to Stream: Stream on Mubi; buy or rent on Apple TV, Prime Video
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.
When looking back on his husband Sir Elton John‘s storied career in the music industry, David Furnish points out that there is a lot to be proud of. Yet, when thinking about that legacy in connection to the future, Furnish settles on one aspect of John’s career that makes him proudest: the pair’s work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Dedicated to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic for good, the organization — which was founded by the singer in 1992 — makes headlines every year with their glitzy, star-studded Academy Awards Viewing Party. Over the course of 33 years, the annual benefit, held on Oscars night, has helped raise over $100 million for the organization’s fight against the virus.
“Things go in and out of fashion and change with the times,” Furnish explains. “But every year, to see that everybody keeps stepping up? That just blows our minds.”
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The 2025 iteration of the event promises to be just as much of a spectacle — along with being co-hosted by John, Furnish, and actors Jean Smart, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, the viewing party is also set to feature an exclusive performance from pop phenomenon Chappell Roan. (Tickets to the party are still available on the organization’s website.)
“We’re always passionate about bringing in great, new, rising talent where we can,” Furnish says of the “Pink Pony Club” singer, before pausing and correcting himself with a laugh. “Well, she’s already risen pretty quickly, and I’d say she’s arrived.”
Below, Furnish speaks with Billboard ahead of the annual fundraiser about his admiration for Roan, the evolution of the gala and why the fight against HIV & AIDS related stigma is far from over.
This year is the 33rd Oscars viewing party that Elton has thrown — in the time that you’ve been involved, how have you seen this party evolve into what it is today?
It’s been an extraordinarily gratifying and rewarding experience. I mean, the fact that we continue to host the premiere fundraising event on Oscar night, that we have that tentpole for our organization… not only does it give us a superb fundraising opportunity to raise much-needed funds, but it also is a tremendous profile opportunity to, one one of the biggest entertainment nights of the year, get the support that we do from the people that come to the party.
One of the most important things in the fight against HIV and AIDS is that we are not finished yet. We’ve seen tremendous progress and tremendous success with the medications, and a lot of people are under the impression that this disease is essentially cured. But consistency is the most important thing in this fight. We have an end in sight, we have our eye focused on the finish line, and we have all of the science and medication that we need to basically end AIDS for good. But we have to be consistent, we have to keep going.
I always say to Elton, “We always have tremendous attendance, we always have a great auction, you’d think after doing it for so many years it might kind of taper off.” But I kind of turn cartwheels as I come out the door every year, because I think, “Oh my god, this is as big or bigger than it’s ever been.” Every year, it continues to get such an extraordinary level of support from the sponsors, from the ticket buyers, from the auction donors, from the performers, from the people who help co-host.
Speaking of performers, you guys got an excellent one this year. You and Elton have been close with Chappell Roan over the last few months — what made you decide to bring her in as the performer this year?
Oh, loads of reasons! First and foremost, she is an unbelievably brilliant performer. We went to see her at the Brixton Academy in London — her command of the stage, her band, her way of delivering her songs, her connection with the audience, her voice, her performance, her visual, everything about her is just like, “Wow.”
She’s also had a fantastic year! She’s really risen so quickly, and has been received so enthusiastically, with great song after great song. I mean, look at that best new artist Grammy this year! But I’m sure that she’s had a lot of requests for her time, and she’s at that stage when you have to keep investing in yourself to grow — and the fact that she so identifies with our cause, and relates so much with our journey and our mission of making sure we put our arms around everybody and that no one gets left behind, is amazing.
It’s that magical combination of the most brilliant artist, at such an extraordinary moment in their career, who is also so connected with this issue. We are just counting our lucky stars. It’s so great that she was available, and so happy to do it, and so joyful about understanding what it really means and wanting to make the best contribution.
We’re at a cultural moment where the stigma-combatting work organizations like yours do is more vital than ever. Can you describe what the EJAF is doing to actively fight against anti-LGBTQ+ and AIDS-related stigma on a daily basis?
Yeah, we want to share the positive messaging that you live a full, happy, healthy life with HIV. When properly treated, you don’t pass the virus on to anyone else, it is nothing to be afraid of and it is nothing to be ashamed of. The programs we’re able to take the money [from this event] and invest in all go a very long way.
It’s about communication, education, breaking down stigma, outreach within key communities and key populations — making sure people have access to testing and know their HIV status, and then once they know their HIV status, having access to the right treatment to deal with the virus headfirst. If they don’t test positive, then it’s about being able to use the latest advancements in science to protect themselves from contracting HIV. If people test positive, then we make sure they have the appropriate counseling and support so that they can live positively and proudly with HIV.
It’s a disease that took hold and thrived in the shadows and corridors of shame. In the It’s a Sin TV series in Britain, Callum Howells’ character says, “I feel so dirty.” There was so much shame associated with it, and we’ve gone so far beyond that now, and we need to continue to reach out and find the key groups that are affected so we can make sure that none of that messaging continues to linger or stick around. We want to make people feel empowered and supported.
This is a celebration on top of a celebration, because Elton is nominated for best original song at this year’s ceremony alongside Brandi Carlile for “Never Too Late.” What does that mean to the two of you, to have Elton at this stage of his career still receiving these major nods?
We’re just so thrilled. There’s so many amazing things connected with nomination — it’s not just Elton, but also Brandi and Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin, and they are like extended family for Elton and me. The fact that the song became the closing point for the documentary I directed with R.J. Cutler, and even the overall messaging of saying that it’s never too late to change your life and find hope, that there can always be a positive outcome and a happy ending if you work for it; the Oscar represents all of that, to us. Also, oh my god, it’s an Oscar nomination! It’s such an amazing honor, and Elton is incredibly proud.
He and Bernie got the Oscar [for The Lion King‘s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”] as the first major award they’d won as songwriters — they’d never won a Grammy at that point. This time around, for Brandi and Andrew to be a part of the process of creating the song, Elton is so excited for them, as well as for himself and Bernie. Yeah, I mean, we’re all just very thrilled.
And what an excellent prelude to Elton and Brandi’s album coming out later this year, too.
Yeah! It’s a wonderful album. Brandi started the process on this song before the album started, because I screened the documentary for her the summer before everybody went into the studio to start on the album. I knew Brandi was a huge fan and understood Elton’s history so well, so I wanted her to see the film. She was so profoundly moved by it, that she wrote this lyric before she went into the studio and started working on it. It’s been an amazing journey.
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.
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez won best original song at the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards, which were held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., on Friday (Feb. 7).
The song, co-written by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard, the film’s writer, director and co-producer, also won the Golden Globe Award in that category on Jan. 5.
With these two wins, “El Mal” appears to be the front-runner in the race for best original song at the Oscars. The other Oscar nominees in that category are “El Camino,” also from Emilia Pérez; “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late; “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight; and “Like a Bird” from Sing Song. The latter three songs were not nominated at the Critics Choice Awards.
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Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’ acclaimed score for Challengers won the Critics Choice Award for best original score, just as it won at the Golden Globes. But it cannot win the Oscar as it wasn’t even nominated. It’s just the third film score to win both the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award and not even be nominated at the Oscars. The first two were Howard Shore’s score for The Aviator at the 2005 ceremony and Justin Hurwitz’s score for First Man in 2019. (Shore, Hurwitz and Reznor & Ross had all won best original score at the Oscars with previous films, making these shut-outs hard to understand.)
The other best original score nominees at the Oscars are Volker Bertelmann for Conclave, Daniel Blumberg for The Brutalist, Kris Bowers for The Wild Robot and John Powell & Stephen Schwartz for Wicked.
Emilia Pérez also won best the Critics Choice Award for foreign language film. Zoe Saldaña, who sang “El Mal” in Emilia Pérez, (with an assist from Karla Sofia Gascón) won the award for best supporting actress.
Accepting the Critics Choice Award for best original song, Camille said “This gives us such a sense of belonging. It feels so grounding. You know this awards season sometimes is so hectic, so overwhelming. I feel like saying sometimes [sings] I’m just a bird.” Thank you so much to Jacques Audiard to allow the bird in me and us to write. Thanks to the Emilia Pérez team and to Zoe, of course, for being such a great artist.”
Ducol, Camille’s romantic partner and collaborator, spoke warmly about Los Angeles in accepting the award. “We’ve been making L.A. our home over the past few months with our family and fell in love with the city and its people. We were so warmly welcomed by the community here and made lasting friendships. Of course, we were heartbroken by the fires and destruction. Now I know why I dreamed of becoming a firefighter when I was young.”
Last year’s Critics Choice Award winners in the music categories were Ludwig Göransson’s Oppenheimer for best original score (which went on to win the Oscar) and “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie for best original song (which was Oscar-nominated, but lost to fellow Barbie song “What Was I Made For?”
Chelsea Handler hosted the Critics Choice Awards for the third year in a row. The show was originally set for Sunday, Jan. 12, but was postponed to Sunday, Jan. 26, and then postponed again, because of wind-whipped wildfires in Los Angeles that began on Jan. 7. The three-hour show, which included awards for both film and television, aired at 7 p.m. ET/PT on E!. The show will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
Final-round Oscar voting extends from Feb. 11-18. The 97th Oscars, hosted for the first time by Conan O’Brien, will be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The show will air live coast-to-coast at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC and streamed live on Hulu for the first time.
Here are the Critics Choice Award nominees in the two music categories, with winners marked:
Best Song
“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Music by: Andrew WyattLyrics by: Andrew Wyatt, Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li“Compress/Repress” – Challengers – Music by: Trent Reznor, Atticus RossLyrics by: Trent Reznor, Luca GuadagninoWINNER: “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Music by: Clément Ducol, CamilleLyrics by: Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Music & Lyrics by: Delacey, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack, Ali Tamposi“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Music & Lyrics by: Clément Ducol, Camille
Best Score
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Pérez
WINNER: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers
Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two
