The 94th Academy Awards will return to the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on Sunday night, hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
“The Power of the Dog” leads the pack with 12 nominations, including for best picture, best director and multiple acting nods. Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic “Dune” trails with 10 nominations, competing for best picture along with best cinematography, score and visual effects.
The show will return in person this year after a modified ceremony in 2021, but there are still COVID-19 protocols in place. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song from “Encanto,” tweeted on Saturday night that he would not be attending because his wife had tested positive for COVID-19.
The Honorary Oscars were awarded Saturday night at the annual Governor’s Awards to Elaine May, Samuel L. Jackson, Liv Ullmann and Danny Glover, who was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. May, presented with her award by Bill Murray, joked “They told me [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy would introduce me tonight, but thank god I got Bill instead.”
Schumer said she had wanted to invite Zelenskyy to appear at the Oscars, and actor Sean Penn said Sunday morning on CNN that he’d “smelt” his Oscar if Zelenskyy wasn’t invited to speak.
Other controversies ahead of the show included eight awards being cut for time, and “West Side Story” star Rachel Zegler saying she was not invited. While she posted on Instagram that she would be watching at home wearing “sweatpants and probably my boyfriend’s flannel,” she was later added as a presenter.
The ceremony will air on ABC and is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET.
