By Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — 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.

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Is Sean Baker’s “Anora” a shoo-in for the evening’s top prize, as many awards prognosticators believe? Or will “Conclave” pull off a surprise following its SAG Awards win? And just how much of the “Wicked” soundtrack will Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande perform? You’ll have to tune in to the 2025 Oscars to find out.

When is the show?

The 97th Academy Awards will be held on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show will kick off at 4 p.m. PT.

How can I watch?

The 2025 Oscars telecast will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu. Those with cable subscriptions also can use their credentials to access the livestream on abc.com and the ABC app.

This is the first year that the Oscars will stream live on Hulu. In prior years, cord-cutters needed subscriptions to platforms with live TV tiers such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV or FuboTV to catch the show.

What about the red carpet shows?

The official live preshow, “The Oscars Red Carpet Show” — hosted by Julianne Hough and Jesse Palmer — will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on ABC and Hulu.

Those interested in tuning into the festivities even earlier can choose from preshow offerings that include “E! Countdown to the Red Carpet” (E!, 11 a.m.), “On the Red Carpet at the Oscars” (ABC, 12:30 p.m.) and “E! Live From the Red Carpet” (E!, 1 p.m.). All times Pacific.

Who is hosting?

Comedian and TV host Conan O’Brien will host the 2025 Oscars. This marks the first time O’Brien is hosting the Academy Awards. He hosted the Emmys in 2002 and 2006.

Conan O’Brien, left, host of Sunday’s 97th Academy Awards, salutes photographers before helping to roll out the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

O’Brien reportedly has been in touch with past Oscars hosts, including Billy Crystal and Jimmy Kimmel, as he prepares for the show.

“There’s no such thing as getting to a point professionally where there are no nerves if you’re working in comedy,” he told People. “I am very aware that it’s an iconic show and can be tricky. … I like to meet a challenge.”

What is nominated?

“Emilia Pérez” — which has been mired in controversy over the course of its awards run — leads the field with 13 nominations, followed by “The Brutalist” and “Wicked” with 10 nods each. All three films are up for the top prize of the night.

This combination of images shows promotional art for ten films nominated for the Oscar for best picture, top row from left, “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” and “Dune: Part Two,” bottom row from left, “Emilia Perez,” “I’m Still Here,” “The Nickel Boys,” “The Substance,” and “Wicked.” (Neon/A24/Searchlight Pictures/Focus Features/Warner Bros. Pictures/Netflix/Sony Pictures Classics/Amazon-MGM/Mubi/Universal Pictures via AP)

The best picture contenders are:

“Anora”
“The Brutalist”
“A Complete Unknown”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“I’m Still Here”
“Nickel Boys”
“The Substance”
“Wicked”

Check out the complete list of nominees here.

Who is performing?

Breaking from tradition, this year’s Oscars telecast will not feature live performances of all of the original song nominees.

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cynthia Erivo, left, and Ariana Grande in a scene from the film “Wicked.” (Universal Pictures via AP)

Instead, “Wicked” duo Erivo and Grande, Lisa of the K-pop group Blackpink (and “The White Lotus“), Doja Cat, Queen Latifah and Raye have been tapped to perform. While specific details have not been revealed, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the performances will celebrate “the filmmaking community and some of its legends.”

The Los Angeles Master Chorale also is set to make a special appearance.

Who is presenting?

Last year’s acting winners Emma Stone (“Poor Things”), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) and “Oppenheimer” stars Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. will be among those presenting at the 97th Academy Awards.

 

Other presenters include Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb, Bowen Yang, Joe Alwyn, Sterling K. Brown, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, Lily-Rose Depp, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Connie Nielsen, Ben Stiller and Oprah Winfrey.

Emma Stone arrives at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

(“Parks & Recreation”) will serve as the announcer for this year’s show.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

After devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles, the 97th Academy Awards are going forward.

Like the Grammys and other awards shows this year, the ceremony will be transformed by the fires and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has pledged to help its members and the broader film community recover.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s show:

When are the Oscars?

The Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The show, to be broadcast live by ABC, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific.

Are the Oscars streaming?

In a first, the Oscars will be streamed live on Hulu. You can also watch via Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV. With authentication from your provider, you can watch on ABC.com and the ABC app.

Who’s hosting the Oscars?

Conan O’Brien is hosting the Academy Awards for the first time.

“I never have been invited to the Oscars,” the late night host-turned podcaster and occasional movie star said at a news conference Wednesday. “I only hosted so that I could be invited.”

Conan O’Brien, host of Sunday’s 97th Academy Awards, helps to roll out the red carpet for the show at the Dolby Theatre on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

O’Brien said he would not hesitate to talk about the nation’s fraught political situation.

“I cannot ignore the moment we’re in,” he said. “But I also have to remember it’s threading a needle. I also have to remember what we’re here to celebrate and infuse the show with positivity.”

He said compared to all the other things he’s done, hosting the Oscars is like “for the first time getting to drive a Ferrari.

“I’d like to keep the tuxedo,” he said. “They made me an absolutely beautiful tuxedo. It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever put on in my life.”

How have the wildfires altered the show?

The wildfires that consumed large parts of Los Angeles in early January led some to call for the cancellation of the Academy Awards. The academy twice postponed the announcement of nominations but never pushed the March 2 date of the ceremony. Academy leaders have argued the show must go ahead, for their economic impact on Los Angeles and as a symbol of resilience.

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The fires will be addressed during the show both directly and in its themes, and viewers will be able to make donations.

“There’s been so many people that have been touched by this devastation,” Raj Kapoor, the show’s executive producer and showrunner, said Wednesday. “There’s been so much outreach, and we really wanted to create some really beautiful moments on stage that celebrate this amazing city that we live in.”

For many involved in the Oscars, the fires have been felt acutely. O’Brien’s Pacific Palisades home survived but his family has been unable to go back to it. O’Brien’s assistant and podcast co-host Sona Movsesian lost her home.

“I know so many people who lost their homes and I’m just, was ridiculously lucky,” O’Brien told The Associated Press. “So we want to make sure that that show reflects what’s happening and that we put a light on the right people in the right way.”

Who’s presenting at the Oscars?

The academy on Wednesday added to its extensive lineup of presenters. Dave Bautista, Harrison Ford, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher, Zoe Saldaña and Rachel Zegler will all present.

They join a roster of previously announced presenters including Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, Joe Alwyn, Ana de Armas, Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson, Bowen Yang, Lily-Rose Depp and Sterling K. Brown.

Last year’s acting winners — Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph — will also take part in the ceremony. Though the academy initially said it would bring back the “fab five” style of presenting the acting awards, with five previous winners per category, organizers have reportedly abandoned those plans for Sunday’s ceremony. Nick Offerman will serve as the show’s announcer.

Will there be any performances?

The academy has announced that, unlike previous years, the original song nominees will not be performed this time. That doesn’t mean there won’t be music, though.

Producers said Wednesday that Queen Latifah will be part of a musical tribute to the late Quincy Jones, who was honored in November with one of the academy’s Governor’s Awards just weeks after his death.

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cynthia Erivo, left, and Ariana Grande in a scene from the film “Wicked.” (Universal Pictures via AP)

Doja Cat, LISA of Blackpink, Queen Latifah and RAYE will also perform, as will “Wicked’s” Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. (The songs from “Wicked” weren’t eligible for best song since, hailing from the Broadway musical, they aren’t original to the movie.) The Los Angeles Master Chorale will also appear.

What’s nominated for best picture?

The 10 nominees for best picture are: “Anora”; “The Brutalist”; “A Complete Unknown”; “Conclave”; “Dune: Part 2”; “Emilia Pérez”; “I’m Still Here”; “Nickel Boys”; “The Substance”; “Wicked.”

This combination of images shows promotional art for ten films nominated for the Oscar for best picture, top row from left, “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” and “Dune: Part Two,” bottom row from left, “Emilia Perez,” “I’m Still Here,” “The Nickel Boys,” “The Substance,” and “Wicked.” (Neon/A24/Searchlight Pictures/Focus Features/Warner Bros. Pictures/Netflix/Sony Pictures Classics/Amazon-MGM/Mubi/Universal Pictures via AP)

How can I watch the Oscar-nominated films?

Some of the nominees are still in theaters, but many of this year’s Oscar nominees are streaming on various platforms. The AP has this handy guide to help with Oscar cramming.

Who are the favorites?

More than most years, that’s a tricky question, but a front-runner had emerged after “Anora” took the top awards at the Producers Guild, Directors Guild and Independent Spirit Awards. The best picture race had been seen as unusually wide open, with “Anora,” “Conclave,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown” and “Emilia Pérez” all having legitimate hopes of winning — the hopes of “Conclave” further boosted by its Screen Actors Guild ensemble win.

In the acting categories, Demi Moore (“The Substance”) is favored for best actress, although Mikey Madison’s BAFTA and Independent Spirit wins for “Anora” makes it more of a race. Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) is most likely in best actor — though SAG winner Timothée Chalamet could threaten — while Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) is the supporting actress front-runner and Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) is the favorite for best supporting actor.

What’s the deal with

‘Emilia Pérez’?

Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” a narco-musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirming surgery, comes in with a leading 13 nominations. The film, at one point, seemed like Netflix’s best chance yet to land the streamer its first best picture win. Its star, Karla Sofía Gascón, made history by becoming the first openly trans actor nominated for an Oscar.

This image released by Netflix shows Karla Sofía Gascón, right, and Zoe Saldaña in a scene from “Emilia Pérez.” (Shanna Besson/Netflix via AP)

But no nominee has had a rockier post-nominations Oscar campaign. After old offensive tweets by Gascón were uncovered, the actress issued an apology. The fallout, though, has badly damaged a movie that was already a divisive contender, and led Netflix to radically refocus its flagging campaign.

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal employees should expect another email on Saturday requiring them to explain their recent accomplishments, a renewed attempt by President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk to demand answers from the government workforce.

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The plan was disclosed by a person with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

The first email, which was distributed a week ago, asked employees “what did you do last week?” and prompted them to list five tasks that they completed. Musk, who empowered by Trump is aiming to downsize agencies and eliminate thousands of federal jobs, said anyone who didn’t respond would be fired. Many agencies, meanwhile, told their workforces not to respond or issued conflicting guidance.

The second email will be delivered in a different way, according to the person with knowledge of the situation, potentially making it easier to discipline employees for noncompliance.

Instead of being sent by the Office of Personnel Management, which functions as a human resources agency for the federal government but doesn’t have the power to hire or fire, the email will come from individual agencies that have direct oversight of career officials.

The plan was first reported by The Washington Post.

It’s unclear how national security agencies will handle the second email. After the first one, they directed employees not to write back because much of the agencies’ work is sensitive or classified. Less than half of federal workers responded, according to the White House.

The Office of Personnel Management ultimately told agency leaders shortly before the Monday deadline for responses that the request was optional, although it left the door open for similar demands going forward.

On Wednesday, at Trump’s first Cabinet meeting of his second term, Musk argued that his request was a “pulse check” to ensure that those working for the government have “a pulse and two neurons.”

Both Musk and Trump have claimed that some workers are either dead or fictional, and the president has publicly backed Musk’s approach.

Addressing people who didn’t respond to the first email, Trump said “they are on the bubble,” and he added that he wasn’t “thrilled” about them not responding.

“Now, maybe they don’t exist,” he said without providing evidence. “Maybe we’re paying people that don’t exist.”

In addition to recent firings of probationary employees, a memo distributed this week set the stage for large-scale layoffs and consolidation of programs.

Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

By DORANY PINEDA and ELLIOT SPAGAT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Just before dawn, 10 people met at a parking lot shared by a laundromat and coffee shop in South Central Los Angeles on what has become a daily mission: Look for immigration officers and warn people of their presence to try to prevent arrests. Bullhorns and sirens are ready for use.

“There’s raza that’s been detained,” Ron Gochez, founder of Union del Barrio’s Los Angeles chapter, said before they split up in five cars. “It seems like there’s more activity now. Let’s keep a close eye out.”

Working with other similar-size groups and using walkie-talkies, the Community Self-Defense Coalition, made up of more than 60 organizations, found nothing Thursday but appeared to have disrupted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations earlier in the week. In Los Angeles and across the country, these tactics have been a thorn in ICE’s side as it tries to carry out President Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations.

“Positive spotting right now of ICE agents at the Target in Alhambra,” Lupe Carrasco Cardona said in a live Instagram report Sunday from the Los Angeles suburb over a blaring siren to draw attention. She said at least six government vehicles were identified in the ICE operation.

Counter-ICE operations have had “a huge impact,” said John Fabbricatore, a former head of ICE’s enforcement and removal division in Denver.

“It’s dangerous for the officers because they are trying to get into a situation, maybe undercover, trying to make an arrest without alarming the neighborhood, and then these guys come out here with these bullhorns and they start yelling and screaming,” Fabbricatore said.

Advocates “go right to the edge” of a law against impeding federal law enforcement to avoid criminal prosecution, he said.

Advocates say they are exercising free speech and reminding people of their rights. ICE officers cannot forcibly enter a home without a judicial warrant, which they rarely have. Sophisticated “know-your- rights” campaigns urge people to stay inside and not open the door.

For years, including during Trump’s first administration, ICE has contended with advocates who rely on blast text messages, social media and bullhorns to spread the word.

Trump’s border czar Tom Homan was visibly angry after joining ICE officers who were met at apartments in the Denver area by activists who insulted them and used bullhorns to alert residents. He insisted word of the operation was leaked.

“The less people know about these operations, the better,” Homan said outside the White House after the Denver operation resulted in fewer arrests than expected.

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ICE referred questions to the Homeland Security Department, which did not respond to questions about the advocates’ tactics and any activities in Los Angeles this week. The agency stopped releasing daily arrest figures, but Homan said last week that it made about 21,000 arrests. That’s an average of more than 600 a day, roughly double what President Joe Biden’s administration did in a 12-month period ending Sept. 30.

In the Los Angeles area, about 150 volunteers fanned out Sunday in response to rumors of ICE operations. Organizers said they spotted ICE in Alhambra and San Fernando, preventing arrests.

Volunteers meet before dawn, as many workers are heading to their jobs and when advocates believe ICE is most likely to move in. They zigzag through quiet residential streets and sleepy intersections, looking for double-parked vehicles, tinted windows and newer cars parked in red zones.

If they spot ICE officers, they hit record on their phones. They blare sirens. And through a megaphone, they announce that ICE is in the neighborhood. “They’re here.”

“We don’t use violence. We don’t break any laws. But we will do anything legally possible to defend our community,” Gochez said.

Back at the parking lot about two hours after Thursday’s mission started, the city was waking up. On the corner, a street vendor had set up her tamales stand.

“We just got a report right now that all of our patrols happening in San Diego, Escondido, California; Los Angeles, California; South Gate and Alhambra, everything is all clear right now,” said Gochez, before heading to his day job as a high school history teacher.

Spagat reported from San Diego.