The biggest night of the Hollywood calendar year, the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, is just days away so it’s time to answer all those questions like; who is the 2022 Oscars host?
With the ceremony taking place on Sunday, March 27, all the dresses will be fitted, the suits tailored and gift bags packed – all we need is the celebrities waiting to hit that red carpet. But what’s it all about?
What Are The Oscars?
The Oscars are actually the annual Academy Awards for artistic and technical merit in the film industry. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious and significant awards in the entertainment industry worldwide and are held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, annually.
The first Oscars ceremony took place in 1929 and this was only a private dinner function at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 270 people. The first Best Actor awarded was Emil Jannings, for his performances in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. The first Best Actress award went to Janet Gaynor for her roles in 7th Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise.
Now it’s a grand ceremony with 24 separate categories spanning from Best Picture to Best Engineering Effects.
Who’s Hosting The Oscars?
For the past few ceremonies there hasn’t been a host, but for the 94th Academy Awards Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes take to the stage to present the ceremony. According to producer Will Packer, each woman brings something different to the show.
Alongside the hosts there’s set to be a whole host of star-studded award presenters including; Samuel L Jackson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kevin Costner, John Travolta, Lily James, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lupita Nyong’o, Woody Harrelson, Shawn Mendes, Tyler Perry, Halle Bailey, Elliot Page, Simu Liu, Rami Malek, and Lady Gaga as well as 2021 winners Anthony Hopkins, Daniel Kaluuya and Youn Yuh-jung.
Who’s Nominated?
The Power of the Dog is predicted to take Best Picture after it swept the board with 12 nominations. Belfast, CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley and West Side Story are all also up for the prestigious award.
Javier Bardem, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Garfield, Will Smith, and Denzel Washington are all up for Best Actor and Jessica Chastain Olivia Colman, Penélope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Kristen Stewart are all up for Best Actress.
The full list of nominations can be found here.
Invite And Gift Bag Controversy
There was some controversy surrounding this year’s ceremony – firstly, Rachel Zegler, the star of West Side Story, claimed she hadn’t received an invite to the ceremony and people were not happy nominees would receive a gift bag worth £76,000.
Last week in response to a comment on her Instagram asking what she will be wearing to the awards ceremony, Zegler wrote: ‘I’m not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel.’ The Academy Awards then received massive amounts of backlash from fans who were furious she hadn’t received an invite – especially as West Side Story is nominated for Best Picture.
However, following the backlash The Hollywood Reporter has said Zegler has been invited to be a presenter at the ceremony, meaning she will receive her own invite.
The next controversy came when the Oscars nominees gift bag contents has been revealed to be worth £76,000 ($100,000) left people fuming.
According to the Robb Report the bag contains expensive cosmetics, edible products and even a plot of land in Scotland.