Who will take home Oscar gold? Countdown to Hollywood's biggest night is on

ByMónica De Anda

Sunday, March 2, 2025 3:35PM

Oscar Sunday is here! Here's what to look for at Academy Awards

Stars will converge at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday for the 97th annual Academy Awards. Here's what to look for.

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES -- The countdown to Hollywood's biggest night is officially on! Who will win Oscar gold?

Stars will converge at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday for the 97th annual Academy Awards, which will undoubtedly see some first-time Oscar winners in top categories. See a full list of nominees here.

The ceremony kicks off 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and will be broadcast by ABC and streamed on Hulu. Conan O'Brien is hosting for the first time.

It's the second year the Oscars are starting earlier in the hope that the best picture award will be announced before audiences go to bed.

Light rain was in the forecast for Sunday morning in Los Angeles, which is still recovering from wildfires that devastated the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods earlier this year.

The fires affected many throughout the film industry and within the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Some even called for the cancellation of Hollywood's awards season. While his Pacific Palisades house was spared, O'Brien has been living out of a hotel the last two months. Oscar producers have said the show will celebrate the city's resilience.

The awards ceremony went through a shakeup when Harrison Ford canceled his presenting role after he was diagnosed with shingles. But stepping in is none other than "Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill. Other presenters inlucde Ben Stiller, Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña.

Is there an Oscar favorite?

The lead nominee is Netflix's "Emilia Pérez," with 13 nominations, but that film has seen its chances crater following uproar over years-old offensive tweets by its star, Karla Sofía Gascón, the first openly trans actor nominated for best actress.

The favorite is Sean Baker's "Anora," about a sex worker who weds the son of a Russian oligarch. The Neon release, the Cannes Palme d'Or winner, won with the producers, directors and writers guild. The only movie with the same resume to not win best picture is "Brokeback Mountain."

Its closest competition is "Conclave," the papal thriller starring Ralph Fiennes. It won at the BAFTAs and the SAG Awards, wins that came just as Pope Francis was hospitalized for double pneumonia. Oscar voting concluded before the pope fell ill.

Also in the mix are "The Brutalist," nominated for 10 awards, and the musical hit "Wicked," also with 10 nominations. Several of the early craft Oscars could be shared between "Wicked" and "Dune: Part Two."

Will Timothée Chalamet win his first Oscar?

While the supporting acting categories feature overwhelming favorites in Zoe Saldana ("Emilia Pérez") and Kieran Culkin ("A Real Pain"), both best actor and best actress are close contests.

In best actress, Demi Moore ("The Substance") is most likely to win, but Mikey Madison ("Anora") or Fernanda Torres ("I'm Still Here") could pull off the upset.

Adrien Brody is favored in best actor for his performance in "The Brutalist." But Timothée Chalamet stands a decent chance of beating him, for his performance as Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown." The 29-year-old Chalamet, who won at the Screen Actors Guild, would become the youngest best actor winner ever, edging Brody's record, set in 2003 in his win for "The Pianist."