10:10 p.m.: Previous best actress winners reunite on stage to honor the nominees for Best Actress at the Oscars.The most closely watched contest of the Academy Awards went to Emma Stone, who won best best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.”In what was seen as the night’s most nail-biting category, Stone won over Lily Gladstone of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Gladstone would have become the first Native American to win an Academy Award.Instead, Oscar voters couldn’t resist the full-bodied extremes of Stone’s “Poor Things” performance. The win for Stone, her second best actress Oscar following her 2019 win for “La La Land,” confirmed the 35-year-old as arguably the preeminent big-screen actress of her generation. The list of women to win best actress two or more times is illustrious, including Katherine Hepburn, Frances McDormand, Ingrid Bergman and Bette Davis.“Oh, boy, this is really overwhelming,” said Stone.10:00 p.m.: Christopher Nolan has won best director at the Academy Awards for his blockbuster biopic “Oppenheimer,” a long-awaited coronation for arguably Hollywood’s preeminent big-screen auteur.Nolan has had many movies in the Oscar mix before, including “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “The Dark Knight.” But his win Sunday for direction is the first Academy Award for the 53-year-old filmmaker.In his acceptance speech, Nolan noted cinema is just over a hundred years old.“We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here,” said Nolan. “But to think that I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.”9:55 p.m.: Previous best actor winners reunite on stage to honor the nominees for Best Actor at the Oscars. Cillian Murphy, the veteran Irish actor whose titanic performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer centered one of the year’s most acclaimed films, has won best actor at the Academy Awards.It’s the first Oscar for Murphy, a longtime Christopher Nolan regular handed a rare leading role in “Oppenheimer.” Though Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) was seen Murphy’s closest competition, Murphy picked up nearly every significant award leading up to the Oscars.”I’m a very proud Irish man standing here tonight,” said Murphy. “For better or worse, we’re all living in Robert Oppenheimer’s world. I’d like to dedicate this to the peacemakers.”9:35 p.m.: “Wicked” costars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Ervio present the Oscar to “Oppenheimer” for Best Original Score.”What was I made for?” was given the Oscar for Best Song for “Barbie.”Written and performed by Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas, the duo created a song that fit “Barbie” perfectly, encapsulating what it’s like to question your purpose in the world and why you’re important.9:30 p.m.: Ryan Gosling brings out his fellow Kens from “Barbie” to perform “I’m Just Ken.”Sunday’s broadcast, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, included plenty of razzle dazzle, including a sprawling song-and-dance rendition of the “Barbie” hit “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling, with an assist on guitar by Slash. A sea of Kens swarmed the stage.6:25 p.m.: John Mulaney appears to award Best Sound but first gives a comedic synopsis of “Field of Dreams.””The Zone of Interest” then took home the Oscar for Best Sound.9:15 p.m.: Zendaya presents “Oppenheimer” the Oscar for Best Cinematography.Issa Rae and Ramy Youssef then awarded “Henry Sugar” Best Live Action Short Film to Wes Anderson.This is Wes Anderson’s first Oscar win.9:00 p.m.: “Barbie” costars America Ferrera and Kate McKinnon reunite on stage to present Best Documentary Film and Best Documentary Short. “The Last Repair Shop” won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short while “20 Days in Mariupol” won Best Documentary Film.The war in Gaza was on the minds of many attendees, as was the war in Ukraine. A year after “Navalny” won the same award, Mstyslav Chernov’s “20 Days in Mariupol,” a harrowing chronicle of the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, won best documentary. The win, a first for The Associated Press and PBS’ “Frontline,” came as the war in Ukraine passed the two-year mark with no signs of abating.Mstyslav Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist whose hometown was bombed the day he learned of his Oscar nomination, spoke forcefully about Russia’s invasion.”This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history,” said Chernov. “And I’m honored. But probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I had never made this film.”8:45 p.m.: “Twins” stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito reunite and make jokes about both being “Batman” villains. DeVito then makes the camera pan to Michael Keaton who stares at the both of them with a menacing look.The two then announced “Godzilla Minus One” as the winner for Best Visual Effects and “Oppenheimer” achievement in film editing.8:35 p.m.: Previous supporting actor winners reunite on stage to honor the nominees for Best Supporting Actor.Robert Downey Jr. won best supporting actor at the Academy Awards, notching his first Oscar and handing the 58-year-old actor a crowning moment in an up-and-down career.Downey’s illustrious second act culminated Sunday with a win for his supporting turn in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” Downey Jr., 58, had been nominated twice before (for “Chaplin” and “Tropic Thunder”).“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the academy, in that order,” said Downey, the son of filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.8:25 p.m.: “Barbenheimer” rivals Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt joined the stage to honor stuntmen and promote their upcoming movie, “The Fall Guy.”Blunt and Gosling went back and forth with Blunt saying that based on the awards season there was no “Barbie” “Oppenheimer” rivalry. Gosling then “kensplains” a portion of the rivalry to Blunt.The two then joined forced to honor the stuntmen in movies. 8:20 p.m.: Dwayne Johnson and Bad Bunny announced “Zone of Interest” as the winner of Best International Film. Jonathan Glazer, the British filmmaker whose chilling Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest” won best international film, drew connections between the dehumanization depicted in his film and today.“Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel, or the the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this humanization, how do we resist?”8:10 p.m.: After talking about a streaker that interrupted the Oscars in the 70s, John Cena peeked out from behind the set, appearing to be naked. Jimmy Kimmel then argued with John Cena about doing a streaker bit.John Cena then came out on stage seemingly nude, covering himself with the envelope that held the winner for Best Costume Design.While scrolling through the nominees, Kimmel dressed Cena in a curtain so he was able to announce “Poor Things” for Best Costume Design.8:05 p.m.: Former “Beetlejuice” costars Catherine O’Hara and Michael Keaton join the stage together to announce “Poor Things” as the winners for Best Makeup & Hairstyling and Best Production Design. 7:55 p.m.: Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell perform the Oscar-nominated song “What was I made for?” from the “Barbie” soundtrack. 7:45 p.m.: Octavia Spencer and Melissa McCarthy announce french-film “Anatomy of a Fall” wins Best Original Screenplay.”American Fiction” then won Best Adapted Screenplay.7:35 p.m.: Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor Joy announced “War is Over” as the winner for Best Animated Short Film.Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” won for best animated feature, a surprise over the favored “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Miyazaki, the 83-year-old Japanese anime master who came out of retirement to make “The Boy and the Heron,” didn’t attend the ceremony. He also didn’t attend the 2003 Oscars when his “Spirited Away” won the same award.7:25 p.m.: An election-year Academy Awards got underway Sunday with protests for Gaza raging outside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, a few cutting remarks from host Jimmy Kimmel and an Oscar for Da’Vine Joy Randolph for her performance in “The Holdovers.”Kimmel, emceeing the ABC telecast for the fourth time, opened the 96th Academy Awards with an opening monologue that drew a few cold looks (from Robert Downey Jr., Sandra Hüller and Messi, the dog from best-picture nominee “Anatomy of a Fall”). But Kimmel, emphasizing Hollywood as “a union town” following 2023’s actor and writer strikes, drew a standing ovation for bringing out teamsters and behind-the-scenes workers — who are now entering their own labor negotiations.Accepting the night’s first award, an emotional Randolph was accompanied to the stage by her “Holdovers” co-star Paul Giamatti.“For so long I’ve always wanted to be different,” said Randolph. “And now I realize I just need to be myself.”Protests over over Israel’s war in Gaza snarled traffic around the Academy Awards on Sunday, slowing stars’ arrival at the red carpet and turning the Oscar spotlight toward the ongoing conflict.Scattered demonstrations were held in the vicinity around the Oscars on Sunday. Los Angeles police, which had expected protests, beefed up their already extensive presence. The Dolby Theatre and the red carpet leading into it are cordoned off for several blocks in every direction.But protesters carrying signs and chanting for ceasefire disrupted traffic near security checkpoints on Sunset Blvd. Some arrivals were slowed by as much as an hour. Some protesters shouted “Shame!” at those trying to reach the Oscars. Police in helmets and wielding batons declared an unlawful assembly and threatened arrest.Several attendees, including Billie Eilish and Finneas, best song nominees for “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie,” wore pins for Gaza. Ava DuVernay and Ramy Youssef were also among those wearing pins.But more than an hour into the show, “Oppenheimer” had yet to win an award. Instead, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Frankenstein-riff “Poor Things” ran away with three awards for its sumptuous craft, including awards for production design, makeup and hairstyling and costume design.Best original screenplay went to “Anatomy of a Fall,” which, like “Barbie,” was penned by a couple: director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. “This will help me through my midlife crisis, I think,” said Triet.In adapted screenplay, where “Barbie” was nominated — and where some suspected Greta Gerwig would win after being overlooked for director — the Oscar went to Cord Jefferson, who wrote and directed his feature film debut “American Fiction.” He pleaded for executives to take risks on young filmmakers like himself.“Instead of making a $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies,” said Jefferson, previously an award-winning TV writer.“Oppenheimer,” the blockbuster biopic, was widely expected to overpower all competition — including its release-date companion, “Barbie” — at an election-year Oscars that could turn into a coronation for Christopher Nolan.The Oscars kicked off an hour early, due to daylight saving time. But aside from the time shift, this year’s show went for tried-and-true Academy Awards traditions. Kimmel is back as host. Past winners flocked back as presenters. And a big studio epic wass poised for a major awards haul.Still, much is circling around this year’s show. Aside from the Israel-Hamas war, the war in Ukraine will be on some attendees’ minds, particularly those of the journalist filmmakers behind the documentary favorite, “20 Days in Mariupol.”“Our hearts are in Ukraine,” said Mstyslav Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist who directed “20 Days in Mariupol.”And with the presidential election in full swing, politics could be an unavoidable topic despite an awards season that’s played out largely in a vacuum.Kimmel didn’t mention either candidate in his opening monologue, but did take one jab at Republican Sen. Katie Britt, who gave the response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. Kimmel mentioned the much-nominated “Poor Things,” as the story about an adult woman with the brain of a child.“Like the lady who gave the rebuttal for the state of the union,” said Kimmel.Hollywood also has plenty of its own storm clouds to concern itself with.The 2023 movie year was defined by a prolonged strike over the future of an industry that’s reckoning with the onset of streaming, artificial intelligence and shifting moviegoer tastes that have tested even the most bankable brands. The academy, while also widely nominating films like “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things,” embraced both “Oppenheimer,” the lead nominee with 13 nods, and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” the year’s biggest hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales and eight nominations.With the forecasted “Oppenheimer” romp, the night’s biggest drama is in the best actress category. Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) and Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) are nearly even-odds to win. While an Oscar for Stone, who won for her performance “La La Land,” would be her second statuette, an win for Gladstone would make Academy Awards history. No Native American has ever won a competitive Oscar.While “Barbie” bested (and helped lift) “Oppenheimer” at the box office, it appears likely it will take a back seat to Nolan’s film at the Oscars. Gerwig was notably overlooked for best director, sparking an outcry that some, even Hillary Clinton, said mimicked the patriarchy parodied in the film.Historically, having big movies in the mix for the Oscars’ top awards has been good for broadcast ratings. The Academy Awards’ largest audience ever came when James Cameron’s “Titanic” swept the 1998 Oscars.Last year’s ceremony, where a very different best-picture contender in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” triumphed, was watched by 18.7 million people, up 12% from the year prior. ABC and the academy are hoping to continue the upward trend after a nadir in 2021, when 9.85 million watched a pandemic-diminished telecast relocated to Los Angeles’ Union Station.
10:10 p.m.: Previous best actress winners reunite on stage to honor the nominees for Best Actress at the Oscars.
Emma Stone was presented the Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.”
10:00 p.m.: Christopher Nolan has won best director at the Academy Awards for his blockbuster biopic “Oppenheimer,” a long-awaited coronation for arguably Hollywood’s preeminent big-screen auteur.
Nolan has had many movies in the Oscar mix before, including “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “The Dark Knight.” But his win Sunday for direction is the first Academy Award for the 53-year-old filmmaker.
In his acceptance speech, Nolan noted cinema is just over a hundred years old.
“We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here,” said Nolan. “But to think that I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.”
9:55 p.m.: Previous best actor winners reunite on stage to honor the nominees for Best Actor at the Oscars.
Cillian Murphy, the veteran Irish actor whose titanic performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer centered one of the year’s most acclaimed films, has won best actor at the Academy Awards.
It’s the first Oscar for Murphy, a longtime Christopher Nolan regular handed a rare leading role in “Oppenheimer.” Though Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) was seen Murphy’s closest competition, Murphy picked up nearly every significant award leading up to the Oscars.
“I’m a very proud Irish man standing here tonight,” said Murphy. “For better or worse, we’re all living in Robert Oppenheimer’s world. I’d like to dedicate this to the peacemakers.”
9:35 p.m.: “Wicked” costars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Ervio present the Oscar to “Oppenheimer” for Best Original Score.
“What was I made for?” was given the Oscar for Best Song for “Barbie.”
Written and performed by Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas, the duo created a song that fit “Barbie” perfectly, encapsulating what it’s like to question your purpose in the world and why you’re important.
9:30 p.m.: Ryan Gosling brings out his fellow Kens from “Barbie” to perform “I’m Just Ken.”
Sunday’s broadcast, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, included plenty of razzle dazzle, including a sprawling song-and-dance rendition of the “Barbie” hit “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling, with an assist on guitar by Slash. A sea of Kens swarmed the stage.
6:25 p.m.: John Mulaney appears to award Best Sound but first gives a comedic synopsis of “Field of Dreams.”
“The Zone of Interest” then took home the Oscar for Best Sound.
9:15 p.m.: Zendaya presents “Oppenheimer” the Oscar for Best Cinematography.
Issa Rae and Ramy Youssef then awarded “Henry Sugar” Best Live Action Short Film to Wes Anderson.
This is Wes Anderson’s first Oscar win.
9:00 p.m.: “Barbie” costars America Ferrera and Kate McKinnon reunite on stage to present Best Documentary Film and Best Documentary Short.
“The Last Repair Shop” won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short while “20 Days in Mariupol” won Best Documentary Film.
The war in Gaza was on the minds of many attendees, as was the war in Ukraine. A year after “Navalny” won the same award, Mstyslav Chernov’s “20 Days in Mariupol,” a harrowing chronicle of the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, won best documentary. The win, a first for The Associated Press and PBS’ “Frontline,” came as the war in Ukraine passed the two-year mark with no signs of abating.
Mstyslav Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist whose hometown was bombed the day he learned of his Oscar nomination, spoke forcefully about Russia’s invasion.
“This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history,” said Chernov. “And I’m honored. But probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I had never made this film.”
8:45 p.m.: “Twins” stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito reunite and make jokes about both being “Batman” villains.
DeVito then makes the camera pan to Michael Keaton who stares at the both of them with a menacing look.
The two then announced “Godzilla Minus One” as the winner for Best Visual Effects and “Oppenheimer” achievement in film editing.
8:35 p.m.: Previous supporting actor winners reunite on stage to honor the nominees for Best Supporting Actor.
Robert Downey Jr. won best supporting actor at the Academy Awards, notching his first Oscar and handing the 58-year-old actor a crowning moment in an up-and-down career.
Downey’s illustrious second act culminated Sunday with a win for his supporting turn in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” Downey Jr., 58, had been nominated twice before (for “Chaplin” and “Tropic Thunder”).
“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the academy, in that order,” said Downey, the son of filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.
8:25 p.m.: “Barbenheimer” rivals Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt joined the stage to honor stuntmen and promote their upcoming movie, “The Fall Guy.”
Blunt and Gosling went back and forth with Blunt saying that based on the awards season there was no “Barbie” “Oppenheimer” rivalry. Gosling then “kensplains” a portion of the rivalry to Blunt.
The two then joined forced to honor the stuntmen in movies.
8:20 p.m.: Dwayne Johnson and Bad Bunny announced “Zone of Interest” as the winner of Best International Film.
Jonathan Glazer, the British filmmaker whose chilling Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest” won best international film, drew connections between the dehumanization depicted in his film and today.
“Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel, or the the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this humanization, how do we resist?”
8:10 p.m.: After talking about a streaker that interrupted the Oscars in the 70s, John Cena peeked out from behind the set, appearing to be naked. Jimmy Kimmel then argued with John Cena about doing a streaker bit.
8:05 p.m.: Former “Beetlejuice” costars Catherine O’Hara and Michael Keaton join the stage together to announce “Poor Things” as the winners for Best Makeup & Hairstyling and Best Production Design.
7:55 p.m.: Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell perform the Oscar-nominated song “What was I made for?” from the “Barbie” soundtrack.
7:45 p.m.: Octavia Spencer and Melissa McCarthy announce french-film “Anatomy of a Fall” wins Best Original Screenplay.
“American Fiction” then won Best Adapted Screenplay.
7:35 p.m.: Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor Joy announced “War is Over” as the winner for Best Animated Short Film.
Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” won for best animated feature, a surprise over the favored “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Miyazaki, the 83-year-old Japanese anime master who came out of retirement to make “The Boy and the Heron,” didn’t attend the ceremony. He also didn’t attend the 2003 Oscars when his “Spirited Away” won the same award.
7:25 p.m.: An election-year Academy Awards got underway Sunday with protests for Gaza raging outside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, a few cutting remarks from host Jimmy Kimmel and an Oscar for Da’Vine Joy Randolph for her performance in “The Holdovers.”
Kimmel, emceeing the ABC telecast for the fourth time, opened the 96th Academy Awards with an opening monologue that drew a few cold looks (from Robert Downey Jr., Sandra Hüller and Messi, the dog from best-picture nominee “Anatomy of a Fall”). But Kimmel, emphasizing Hollywood as “a union town” following 2023’s actor and writer strikes, drew a standing ovation for bringing out teamsters and behind-the-scenes workers — who are now entering their own labor negotiations.
Accepting the night’s first award, an emotional Randolph was accompanied to the stage by her “Holdovers” co-star Paul Giamatti.
“For so long I’ve always wanted to be different,” said Randolph. “And now I realize I just need to be myself.”
Protests over over Israel’s war in Gaza snarled traffic around the Academy Awards on Sunday, slowing stars’ arrival at the red carpet and turning the Oscar spotlight toward the ongoing conflict.
Scattered demonstrations were held in the vicinity around the Oscars on Sunday. Los Angeles police, which had expected protests, beefed up their already extensive presence. The Dolby Theatre and the red carpet leading into it are cordoned off for several blocks in every direction.
But protesters carrying signs and chanting for ceasefire disrupted traffic near security checkpoints on Sunset Blvd. Some arrivals were slowed by as much as an hour. Some protesters shouted “Shame!” at those trying to reach the Oscars. Police in helmets and wielding batons declared an unlawful assembly and threatened arrest.
Several attendees, including Billie Eilish and Finneas, best song nominees for “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie,” wore pins for Gaza. Ava DuVernay and Ramy Youssef were also among those wearing pins.
But more than an hour into the show, “Oppenheimer” had yet to win an award. Instead, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Frankenstein-riff “Poor Things” ran away with three awards for its sumptuous craft, including awards for production design, makeup and hairstyling and costume design.
Best original screenplay went to “Anatomy of a Fall,” which, like “Barbie,” was penned by a couple: director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. “This will help me through my midlife crisis, I think,” said Triet.
In adapted screenplay, where “Barbie” was nominated — and where some suspected Greta Gerwig would win after being overlooked for director — the Oscar went to Cord Jefferson, who wrote and directed his feature film debut “American Fiction.” He pleaded for executives to take risks on young filmmakers like himself.
“Instead of making a $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies,” said Jefferson, previously an award-winning TV writer.
“Oppenheimer,” the blockbuster biopic, was widely expected to overpower all competition — including its release-date companion, “Barbie” — at an election-year Oscars that could turn into a coronation for Christopher Nolan.
The Oscars kicked off an hour early, due to daylight saving time. But aside from the time shift, this year’s show went for tried-and-true Academy Awards traditions. Kimmel is back as host. Past winners flocked back as presenters. And a big studio epic wass poised for a major awards haul.
Still, much is circling around this year’s show. Aside from the Israel-Hamas war, the war in Ukraine will be on some attendees’ minds, particularly those of the journalist filmmakers behind the documentary favorite, “20 Days in Mariupol.”
“Our hearts are in Ukraine,” said Mstyslav Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist who directed “20 Days in Mariupol.”
And with the presidential election in full swing, politics could be an unavoidable topic despite an awards season that’s played out largely in a vacuum.
Kimmel didn’t mention either candidate in his opening monologue, but did take one jab at Republican Sen. Katie Britt, who gave the response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. Kimmel mentioned the much-nominated “Poor Things,” as the story about an adult woman with the brain of a child.
“Like the lady who gave the rebuttal for the state of the union,” said Kimmel.
Hollywood also has plenty of its own storm clouds to concern itself with.
The 2023 movie year was defined by a prolonged strike over the future of an industry that’s reckoning with the onset of streaming, artificial intelligence and shifting moviegoer tastes that have tested even the most bankable brands. The academy, while also widely nominating films like “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things,” embraced both “Oppenheimer,” the lead nominee with 13 nods, and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” the year’s biggest hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales and eight nominations.
With the forecasted “Oppenheimer” romp, the night’s biggest drama is in the best actress category. Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) and Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) are nearly even-odds to win. While an Oscar for Stone, who won for her performance “La La Land,” would be her second statuette, an win for Gladstone would make Academy Awards history. No Native American has ever won a competitive Oscar.
While “Barbie” bested (and helped lift) “Oppenheimer” at the box office, it appears likely it will take a back seat to Nolan’s film at the Oscars. Gerwig was notably overlooked for best director, sparking an outcry that some, even Hillary Clinton, said mimicked the patriarchy parodied in the film.
Historically, having big movies in the mix for the Oscars’ top awards has been good for broadcast ratings. The Academy Awards’ largest audience ever came when James Cameron’s “Titanic” swept the 1998 Oscars.
Last year’s ceremony, where a very different best-picture contender in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” triumphed, was watched by 18.7 million people, up 12% from the year prior. ABC and the academy are hoping to continue the upward trend after a nadir in 2021, when 9.85 million watched a pandemic-diminished telecast relocated to Los Angeles’ Union Station.
