As another Oscars night comes to a close, say goodbye with a bunch of celebrities waving to us on the red carpet.

Adrien Brody flashed his status as a two-time Oscar winner to ward off the orchestral music that was nudging him to wrap up his lengthy acceptance speech Sunday evening.

“Please turn the music off. I’ve done this before,” he said, well into his speech, promising to not be “egregious” in the rest of his remarks. “It’s not my first rodeo.”

Clocking in at three hours and 45 minutes, the 97th Academy Awards were a long show, but a good one. Particularly if you were Sean Baker, who won a record-tying four Oscars as the producer, director, writer and editor of the best picture winner “Anora.” (Walt Disney is the only other person to win that many Oscars in one year.) “Anora” headliner Mikey Madison also prevailed, winning the lead actress trophy over sentimental favorite Demi Moore.

Host Conan O’Brien made a strong case to make this a recurring gig, keeping the show moving with inspired bits and self-deprecating humor, almost making you forget about the lengthy running time. Just as a good movie can never be too long, so this year’s Oscars never overstayed its welcome. (Well, maybe they could have lost the James Bond dance number. But other than that …)

Times columnists Mary McNamara and Glenn Whipp were with the ceremony for its entirety. Follow along below for their recap of the night’s highlights.

7:42 p.m. “I used to work here,” says Oscars uber-host Billy Crystal while presenting best picture nominees with Meg Ryan. — M.M.

At the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, The Times’ photo team was out in force on the red carpet, capturing all the best looks as stars made their way into the Dolby Theatre for the ceremony. Then during the show, hosted by Conan O’Brien for the first time, our photographers were inside and backstage. Here we have a rundown of the evening.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

“Anora” took the top prize at the 97th Academy Awards, capping a dominant night for the edgy twist on a Cinderella story about a young Brooklyn sex worker and a Russian billionaire’s son.

The raucous and often raunchy film, which cost just $6 million, won five of the six awards for which it was nominated, including an upset win for lead actress Mikey Madison. With the best picture win, along with wins for original screenplay, directing and editing, writer-director Sean Baker brought home his fourth Oscar of the night, tying Walt Disney’s record for most wins by one person in a single year.

Accepting the award, Baker told the audience, “We made this with very little money but all of our hearts. To all of the dreamers and the young filmmakers out there, tell the stories you want to tell. Tell the stories that move you. I promise you will never regret it.”

Mikey Madison won the lead actress Oscar at the 97th Academy Awards for her performance as a sex worker who marries a Russian billionaire in “Anora.”

“This is very surreal,” Madison said while accepting the award. “I grew up in Los Angeles but Hollywood always felt so far away from me.”

Audible gasps interrupted the interviews in progress backstage in the press room when Madison’s win was announced. “The Substance” star Demi Moore had long been considered the frontrunner in the category.

“I want to once again recognize and honor the sex worker community,” she continued in her remarks, vowing to remain an ally. “All of the incredible people, the women that I’ve had the privilege of meeting from the community has been one of the highlights of this entire incredible experience.”

Sean Baker made Oscars history on Sunday by becoming the first person to win four Oscars in one night for the same movie. With “Anora,” a bittersweet dramedy about a Brooklyn stripper who becomes entangled with the wayward son of a Russian oligarch, Baker won awards for best picture, director, original screenplay and editing.

“Emilia Pérez” filmmaker Jacques Audiard was also in contention for this historic feat, as he ended up with nominations for directing, adapted screenplay, original song and best picture. When the Oscar nominations were announced Jan. 23, the producer credits for “Emilia Pérez” were among those announced as “nominees to be determined.” Audiard was ultimately recognized as one of the film’s eligible producers, boosting his nominations from three to four.

The 97th Academy Awards were presented Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and on a show that ran nearly four hours and saw five different films win multiple awards, “Anora” filmmaker Sean Baker was the big winner with a record-tying four Oscars. Baker’s quartet of statuettes were for original screenplay, editing, director and best picture. Mikey Madison of “Anora” took the prize for actress in a leading role.

Adrien Brody won actor in a leading role for “The Brutalist,” and “A Real Pain’s” Kieran Culkin and “Emilia Pérez’s” Zoe Saldaña triumphed in the supporting acting categories. “Emilia Pérez” added a second win for original song for “El Mal.” In addition to Brody, “The Brutalist” won for cinematography and original score. Taking home two Oscars apiece were “Wicked” (costume design and production design) and “Dune: Part Two” (sound and visual effects).

Check out the The Times’ full coverage of the Oscars here.

Best picture

“Anora” | WINNER

“The Brutalist”

“A Complete Unknown”

“Conclave”

“Dune: Part Two”

Sean Baker won the directing prize for “Anora” at the 97th Academy Awards. His third award of the night after original screenplay and editing, the win left him one away from tying Walt Disney’s record of four Oscars in a single year.

Accepting the award for his gonzo romance about a sex worker and a reckless Russian oligarch’s son, the first-time directing nominee — whose previous films include “The Florida Project” and “Red Rocket” — delivered an impassioned plea for moviegoers to see films in theaters.

“Right now, the theatergoing experience is under threat,” Baker said. “Movie theaters, especially independently owned theaters, are struggling, and it’s up to us to support them. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry: Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen. I know I will. Distributors, please focus first and foremost on the theatrical releases of your films.”

Adrien Brody took home his second Oscar for lead actor for his performance as Hungarian Jewish Holocaust survivor and architect László Tóth in “The Brutalist.” He received a standing ovation as he took the stage.

“Popsy’s coming home a winner,” Brody said after thanking his partner Georgina Chapman and his children. The play-off music began gently encouraging him to wrap up his speech, but Brody pleaded with the organizers, saying, “this is not my first rodeo.”

He proceeded to speak on the film’s subject matter, saying that it serves as “a reminder to not let hate go unchecked.”

“I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and of antisemitism and racism and of othering,” Brody said. “I pray for a healthier and a happier and a more inclusive world, and I believe if the past can teach us anything, it’s a reminder to not let hate go unchecked.”

“Let’s fight for what’s right,” he concluded his speech. “Keep smiling, keep loving one another, let’s rebuild together.”

Lol Crawley won the Oscar for cinematography at the 97th Academy Awards for his soaring, poetic work on the period epic “The Brutalist.”

Accepting his first Oscar on his first nomination, the British cinematographer — who also picked up the cinematography award at the BAFTAs — thanked Brady Corbet, who wrote and directed the sweeping period epic about a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor forging a new life in America.

“Thank you for trusting me, allowing me to sail close to the edge and offering your hand if I ever fell in,” Crawley said, “for recognizing the richest diamonds are always the hardest to mine and for standing by me if I ever failed to succeed.”

Capt. Jake Heflin of the Long Beach Fire Dept. brought an autograph book to the Oscars made by his 9-year-old stepdaughter. So far he’s gotten Kieran Culkin and Selena Gomez’s signatures. Gomez signed the makeshift book before heading out early with fiance Benny Blanco.

The Brazilian film “I’m Still Here” won the award for international feature, beating out projected winner “Emilia Pérez.” The film follows the story of Eunice Paiva (played by Fernanda Torres) on her quest to investigate her husband’s disappearance while navigating the complicated waters of the 1970s military dictatorship in Brazil.

“This goes to a woman who, after a loss suffered during an authoritarian regime, decided not to bend and to resist,” said director Walter Salles in his acceptance speech. “This prize goes to her — her name is Eunice Paiva — and it goes to the two extraordinary women who gave life to her: Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro.”

The Oscars wasn’t just about the best in Hollywood. The ceremony paused to pay special tribute to first responders and firefighters who battled the devastating January Los Angeles wildfires.

Several members of the Los Angeles Fire Department received a rousing standing ovation from the star-studded crowd when they came out on stage about midway through the ceremony.

As Kieran Culkin’s wife, Jazz Charton, rushed to find a bathroom, the newly minted Oscar winner held Charton’s purse while guarding the door. How did his speech about wanting another child go over with his wife? “I’m still taking the temperature,” he admitted.

After Charton emerged from the restroom, she clarified her feelings: “The more he keeps asking me, the less I will,” she said with a smile. “I’m used to it by now. My uterus is public domain. It’s just a running joke between us.”

Karla Sofía Gascón may be at the Oscars, but she won’t be talking to anyone after coming under fire in late January after offensive tweets were resurfaced. During a commercial break, the “Emilia Pérez” star exited the ballroom around 6:15 p.m. and approached the bar, greeting Adrien Brody with a hug. She was flanked closely by a Netflix publicist, her agent from UTA and a private security guard.

As two reporters approached her, one from the New York Times began asking Gascón questions. “How are you feeling about being here tonight?” the reporter inquired. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” Gascón smiled pleasantly. Before she could say more, the concerned Netflix rep interjected. “We’re not doing interviews. I hope you understand.” Gascón smiled, took her drink, winked at the reporters, blew a kiss and returned to the ballroom.

“No Other Land,” a documentary made by a collective of Palestinian and Israeli activist filmmakers, won the award for documentary feature. The film is about the systemic demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank.

“We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together, our voices are stronger,” said the film’s co-director, Yuval Abraham. “The explosions, the destruction of Gaza and its people must end. Israeli hostages, brutally taken in the crime of Oct. 7, must be freed.”

“The foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path,” Abraham said. “It’s not too late for life, for the living. There is no other way.”

For the documentary short category, “The Only Girl in the Orchestra,” which follows the first woman to become a full-time member of the New York Philharmonic, won the award.

Zoe Saldaña made a powerful statement in celebration of immigrants during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday.

“I am a proud child of immigrant parents, with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands,” she said through tears while accepting the award for supporting actress. “And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last.”

Adrien Brody roams the red carpet at the 97th Academy Awards.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“You think you’re gonna win tonight?” asked a fan, approaching Adrien Brody at the bar. “Fingers crossed,” he replied, reclining against the granite. His girlfriend, Georgina Chapman, paused to take a selfie of themselves before more admirers approached.

“Is this time different than last?” another man asked, referring to Brody’s win for “The Pianist” in 2003. “It was a different kind of circuit. No social media,” Brody responded.

“They were legends. I was a complete unknown,” he said, leaning into the wordplay of his biggest competition tonight, Timothée Chalamet.

Designer Nathan Crowley and set decorator Lee Sandales won for their production design work on “Wicked.” During awards season, the film had been lauded for its commitment to practical scenery, including planting 9 million tulip bulbs to adorn Munchkinland and crafting the Emerald City Express train.

If you thought Amazon gaining creative control over the James Bond film franchise was the big 007 shake-up of the year, the Oscars would like you to hold its martini.

The 97th Academy Awards telecast featured a tribute to the spy franchise as well as longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who were presented with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the Governors Awards.

The segment opened with a group dance sequence set to the James Bond theme, which featured actor Margaret Qualley. The tribute then segued into a medley of musical performances by Lisa, Doja Cat and Raye, who sang portions of “Live and Let Die,” “Diamonds Are Forever” and “Skyfall,” respectively.

This was not the first time James Bond was brought up during the telecast: Host Conan O’Brien had a joke at the expense of an Amazon executive during his opening monologue.

“Anora” won the Oscar for editing at the 97th Academy Awards, beating out a field that included “The Brutalist,” “Wicked,” “Conclave” and “Emilia “Pérez.”

Accepting his second award of the night out of four personal nominations for the film, Sean Baker — who also wrote and directed the skewed Cinderella story about a Brooklyn sex worker — quipped, “I saved this movie in the edit. Trust me, that director should never work again. No, truly, I consider editing to be half of my directing and a third of my screenwriting so this means everything. It’s a real validation for me.”

In a pre-recorded bit, Conan O’Brien launched his hosting duties at the 97th Acadamy Awards with a nod to “The Substance,” climbing out of Demi Moore’s back but going back in to look for a lost shoe. He finished his opening monologue nearly 20 minutes later with a song-and-dance number featuring a piano-playing sandworm from “Dune” and a dancing Deadpool.

In between, the comedian and former late-night host delivered a sharply written segment that gave tribute to the ceremony’s nominees while also subjecting many of the attendees to some good-natured ribbing. Timothée Chalamet was one of the most prominent targets, and the 29-year-old lead actor nominee for “A Complete Unknown” was a good sport, smiling through the teasing, which included a look at his early “headshot” — an ultrasound of a fetus.

Zoe Saldaña completed an awards season sweep with her first Oscar win for supporting actress. She has previously nabbed the Golden Globe, SAG Award, BAFTA and Critics’ Choice Award for her role in “Emilia Pérez.”

“I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands,” Saldaña said in her acceptance speech as she fought back tears. “And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last. The fact that I am getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish — my grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted.”

Saldaña also thanked her husband, Marco Perego, “with that beautiful hair.”

“The biggest honor of my life is being your partner,” she said. “You hung the moon in our beautiful, perfect sons: Cy, Bowie and Zen. They fill our skies every night with stars.”

“Anora” writer-director Sean Baker won the original screenplay prize at the 97th Academy Awards.

The film tells the story of a young sex worker from Brooklyn who impulsively marries the reckless son of a Russian oligarch. Baker, a first-time winner, thanked the sex worker community, which also featured in his earlier work, including “Tangerine.”

“They have shared their stories,” said Baker, who had been considered a favorite after picking up the same award from the Writers Guild of America.

“They have shared their life experience with me over the years, my deepest respect. Thank you. I share this with you,” he said.

This is the first of four awards Baker is nominated for, including best picture.

In the adapted screenplay category, Peter Straughan won for Edward Berger’s “Conclave,” based on a 2016 novel by Robert Harris. He beat out a competitive field that included RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys,” which had claimed the prize at the WGA Awards.

“Connie, I love you,” Straughan said, thanking his daughter. “This is for you. That’s not the same as saying it’s yours. It’s not like that jumper you keep taking. This is mine.”

The gory yet exhilarating prosthetics in the body-horror film “The Substance” were awarded with the Oscar for best makeup and hairstyling. Stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley submitted to hours of makeup application, created by a team led by Pierre Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli.

“Thank you to Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley for your patience in the makeup chair,” Persin said in his acceptance speech.

Horror movies have often won this award, including the first ever in the category when it was first created, bestowed in 1982 to “An American Werewolf in London.”

For Glinda’s gowns, Elphaba’s iconic witch hat and all of the Munchkins’ ensembles, Paul Tazewell won the award for costume design. Tazewell became the first Black man to win the award, which he briefly acknowledged in his speech before he thanked his family and was choked up.

“My Ozian muses, Cynthia and Ariana, I love you so much — all of the other cast, thank you,” Tazewell said. “Thank you for trusting me with bringing your characters to life. This is everything.”

Speaking to reporters after his win, Tazewell said he was able to create the magic of “Wicked” thanks to “the help of a lot of really amazing and talented costume artisans.”

“There’s no way for me to do it alone, and that also is my greatest joy, is to be working with other very talented artist,” Tazewell said. “I share this with them.”

Iranian film “In the Shadow of the Cypress” won the Oscar for animated short film at the 97th Academy Awards.

Filmmakers Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohan seemed shocked as they took the stage to accept the award, calling it a “miracle” that they were at the ceremony considering they had not obtained their visa until yesterday.

“Just the fact that we managed to make this film under the extraordinary circumstances of our country is a miracle,” said Molayemi, reading from his cellphone. “We are going to dedicate our film and this precious award to all those who are still fighting their inner and outer battles heroically … especially to our fellow Iranians who are still suffering.”

In an upset, the Latvian animated film “Flow,” which follows a cat that experiences a monstrous flood alongside a group of other animals, won the Oscar for animated feature. “The Wild Robot” was widely expected to take home the award. The win marks the country of Latvia’s first Oscar, and Latvian journalists in the media room exploded with screams and cheers after the win.

Director Gints Zilbalodis accepted the award and made sure to shout out his furry friends. “Thank you to my cats and dogs,” he said.

Oscars host Conan O’Brien didn’t pull any punches in his opening monologue, making jokes about embattled nominee Karla Sofía Gascón. The “Emilia Pérez” star came under fire for resurfaced, offensive tweets with anti-Muslim, anti-diversity and racist language. One of O’Brien’s digs was about the number of f-bombs in best picture nominee “Anora.” He said there were 479 — “three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist.” “Karla Sofía Gascón is here tonight, and Karla, if you are going to tweet about the Oscars, remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel,” he added.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

In the first award of the night, Kieran Culkin won the supporting actor Oscar for his role in Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain.” Culkin took home virtually every major award this season — the Golden Globe, SAG Award, BAFTA and Critics’ Choice — but his win Sunday marks his first Oscar.

“Jesse Eisenberg, thank you for this movie,” Culkin said in his acceptance speech. “You’re a genius. I would never say that to your face, I’m never saying it again, so soak it up.” Culkin also shouted out his fellow nominee and former “Succession” co-star Jeremy Strong, but was censored for much of his comments because he used expletives.

How thrillifying that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande opened the Oscars ceremony with a performance of songs from “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Wiz” and “Wicked.”

At the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, the two Oscar-nominated stars treated audiences to a musical history of Oz onstage and onscreen.

Nick Offerman made preshow announcements, asking attendees not to thank agents and publicists, but “by a new executive order, you are required to thank commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.”

He also joked that Hawkeye wasn’t a real Avenger and made a dig at Kevin Spacey, drawing a big response from the crowd.

For decades, the Oscars’ original song performances have provided some of the ceremony’s most unforgettable moments. Think Celine Dion belting out “My Heart Will Go On,” Three 6 Mafia’s raucous “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper locking eyes during “Shallow” or, most recently, last year’s show-stopping Barbie spectacle of “I’m Just Ken.”

Alas, not this year.

Timothée Chalamet makes his way down the Oscars red carpet Sunday at the 97th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre.

(Jason H. Neubert / Los Angeles Times)

See more photos from the Oscars red carpet.

The Academy Awards ceremony starts an hour early again this year, but there was a timekeeping problem on the red carpet.

A large clock set up on a wall under a gold Rolex logo was broken until someone was sent to fix it around 3:15 p.m. For a ceremony that rarely finishes on time, it’s apropos.

Does the best performance ever win the Oscar? Sometimes. Let’s not be too cynical. But even the most detached fan knows that getting to the podium requires a narrative, a story behind the story. So-and-so Worked So Hard. It was a Total Transformation. This was a Life that Needed to Be Told.

And then, one of the oldest narratives: They Were Due. After so many nominations and brilliant performances, how could they not have won yet? But does that logic hold water? Columnist Glenn Whipp and film editor Joshua Rothkopf sat down to discuss the substance of “dueness.” Does it work? Is it fair? And how is it playing out this year?

As black cars idled on Highland Avenue, pro-Palestinian protesters walked through the traffic, trying to delay the red carpet arrivals. “Do not move your cars! We are putting cones under your cars!” yelled one masked woman at 2:40 p.m. — a little more than an hour before the show’s kickoff. Within a minute, a police officer walked over to the vehicles to remove the road impediments. But demonstrators continued protesting down the block, chanting through their megaphones.

Some protesters began using their bodies to block vehicles, with bike cops starting to intervene.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Fernanda Torres is nominated for actress in a leading role for “I’m Still Here.” Her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, received an Oscar nomination for the 1998 film “Central Station.”

They join Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis and Diane Ladd and Laura Dern as the rare mother-daughter duos who have been nominated for Oscars.

By the time “Emilia Pérez” had garnered 13 Oscar nominations, including for best picture, Netflix’s Spanish-language musical about a transgender drug lord had already been mired in controversy. Critics skewered the film’s portrayal of trans issues and Mexican culture.

Then Karla Sofía Gascón’s old social media posts resurfaced in which the first out trans performer to receive a lead actress nod maligned Muslims, George Floyd and diversity and seemed to body-shame the singer Adele.

I’ll let you in on a secret: I lose my play-along Oscar ballot every year. Hey, I’m a critic who can’t help voting her heart while championing what should have been nominated instead. This Sunday, I’ll be rooting for these contenders — and elbowing my watch party to catch up with one of these overlooked never-rans as soon as the teleprompters chase the last winners offstage.

The Times’ photo team was out in force on the red carpet leading up to the 97th Academy Awards, capturing all the best looks as stars made their way into the Dolby Theatre for the ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien for the first time.

See “Wicked” stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, lead actress nominees Demi Moore and Fernanda Torres, Selena Gomez, Lupita Nyong’o and more in outfits that range from sleek and sophisticated to highly sculpted, with feathery embellishments a notable trend. Among the men making dramatic choices: “Sing Sing” star Colman Domingo in custom Valentino and “A Complete Unknown” star Timothée Chalamet in butter yellow Givenchy.

Mikey Madison

“Anora” ingenue Mikey Madison arrives on the red carpet in a Dior gown.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Colman Domingo

For more than 20 years, Sherman Oaks florist Mark’s Garden has designed the towering greenery and blooming displays seen at the Oscars.

Getting that Hollywood awards-season work is key, particularly during the business’ typically slow first quarter of the year. And the free advertising that comes with your floral arrangements gracing the year’s biggest stage? Priceless.

The Oscar race for best picture has been a roller coaster ride all season and, even with “Anora” winning the top prize from both the producers and directors guilds, there still might be a moment of suspense when that final envelope is opened at the March 2 ceremony. It has been that kind of year.

But best picture isn’t the only category that feels a bit up for grabs. After a 2024 show in which most of the winners seemed like foregone conclusions — “Oppenheimer” and its men, Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., and Da’Vine Joy Randolph for “The Holdovers” — we have a number of races that feel like they could go one way or another.

Upstairs at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Sean Baker is talking shop with veteran projectionist Ivan Rothberg as he’s threading the fifth reel of “Anora,” Baker’s Oscar-nominated crowd-pleaser that won top honors from the directors and producers guilds over the weekend.

Looking out the booth’s window onto the sold-out theater’s screen, we see that Igor (Yura Borisov) has just handed a red scarf to Ani (Mikey Madison) to buffer the frigid night air, so we have some time before Ani’s journey ends. We head to a tiny office around the corner where Baker plops down next to his wife and producing partner, Samantha Quan, and fellow producer Alex Coco. We’re surrounded by shelves stacked with boxes of Red Vines, Kit Kats and sparkling water. Quan grabs a pack of Cheez-Its. You take sustenance where you find it.

The Oscar nominations are upon us; thus, so is Round 3 of the BuzzMeter! After first supporting their personal picks and then predicting who and what will be nominated, our powerful panel of veteran film journalists is now sharing who and what will grab the gold on March 2. We’ve seen wild fluctuations in their fancies in this rollercoaster of an awards season, but now they have made their winner picks. Final answers!

Think you can do better? Have a look at all their predictions in 10 Oscar categories below and vote in the online polls!

Six years ago, midway through the 91st Academy Awards telecast, a walnut Steinway and Sons Model B grand piano took center stage at the Dolby Theatre. After being smoothly propelled from the wings, it stood for a moment alone, its lid aglow with reflected top lights.

Sharp-eyed movie fans might have recognized it as one of the pianos used in that year’s Oscar-nominated “A Star Is Born” and indeed, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga quickly left their seats to perform the eventual original song winner, “Shallow.”

If you want to ace your Oscar pool, you musn’t ignore the three short film categories — animation, live-action and documentary. But what cinephile would, anyway? The 15 nominees here have already won something, if you think of them as global ambassadors of all that cinema can do in a pinch of time. They will compete on Hollywood’s biggest night but, of course, we have our favorites.

Karla Sofía Gascón has put Oscar voters between a historic first and a hard place.

When she received a nomination for lead actress for her work in Netflix’s film “Emilia Pérez,” Gascón became not only the first out transgender person to be nominated for an acting award, but also the odds-on favorite. With 13 nods, including for picture, international feature and director, “Emilia Pérez” received more nominations than any other film this year.

And the Oscar for best climate change film of 2024 goes to …

“The Wild Robot,” a beautiful animated movie that takes place in a world irrevocably altered by rising seas.

It’s almost time for film’s biggest night.

The 97th Academy Awards will be held this Sunday at the Dolby Theatre, where Hollywood’s biggest stars will celebrate this awards season’s best performances and films.

Gravity has been defied and social media accounts deleted. Comeback stories have been heralded and our AI robot overlords have been held at bay — for now.

An intermission? Yes, please! A final curtain? Even better!

The 97th Academy Awards arrive Sunday after an awards season full of wild momentum swings, online trolling and internecine whisper campaigns that almost made me long for the day when Harvey Weinstein would personally take me to a movie theater just so I’d know how much people loved “Chocolat.”

Almost.

The wait is over — nominations for the 97th Academy Awards have been announced.

As expected, “Emilia Pérez” led the field with 13 nominations on Thursday morning, including best picture, lead actress (Karla Sofía Gascón), supporting actress (Zoe Saldaña) and directing (Jacques Audiard). Gascón, who stars as the eponymous cartel boss who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, made history as the first out trans woman nominated in an acting category.

The 2025 awards season is (finally) approaching its end.

The 97th Academy Awards will be held Sunday at the Dolby Theatre, where Hollywood’s biggest stars will assemble to celebrate this awards cycle’s best films and performances one last time.