The countdown to the 2023 Oscar Awards premiere is winding down. The 95th annual Academy Awards will enter the history books as the first ceremony after the 2022 incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock, which helped spur a proactive protocol to prevent a repeat. Here are seven noteworthy points about this edition that every awards fan should know.
The red carpet begins outside Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre at midnight, and the ceremony itself will unfold at 2:00 p.m., following the arrival of many stars in front of the cameras. The event is a global spectacle, and its timing is designed to maximize coverage for viewers in North America and around the world.
In the wake of last year’s incident, the Academy introduced a comprehensive protocol aimed at streamlining coordination and communication among organizers, security, presenters, and broadcasters. The goal is a swift, calm response if anything unexpected disrupts the program. This year’s approach emphasizes preparedness without compromising the ceremony’s flow or the experience of the attendees and the audience at home.
Forecasts center on Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical drama The Fabelmans as a potential frontrunner. Yet Everything Everywhere All at Once remains a formidable challenger, offering a bold, original narrative and a fresh take on modern filmmaking that could resonate with voters and viewers alike in the United States and Canada.
There will be no Spanish nominees in the Best International Feature Film category this year. Still, Spain will be represented in a different capacity, with Antonio Banderas from Málaga lending his presence to the ceremony as one of the announcers and prize presenters. The strongest foreign contender from the nation this cycle is Carla Simón’s Alcarràs, which won a Golden Bear at the Berlinale but did not secure a nomination for Best International Film.
For this edition, the Academy extended an invitation to Chris Rock to host as a light-hearted gesture after the prior year’s controversy; the offer was declined. Jimmy Kimmel, who previously steered the ceremony in 2017 and 2018, will once again host. Notably, the show has featured multiple hosts or co-hosts in recent years, but this year marks Kimmel’s solo return to the role after collaboration on a few recent broadcasts.
The film receiving the most nominations in this cycle is Everything Everywhere All at Once, with the potential to collect a substantial haul, including a substantial number of statuettes for the Dolby Theatre stage. Close behind are All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin, each earning multiple nominations that reflect broad recognition across crafts and performances.
Andrea Riseborough’s Best Actress nomination stands out as one of the season’s most talked-about developments. The nomination drew attention after a relatively unconventional, high-profile endorsement campaign, which sparked discussions about campaigning practices. Riseborough’s nomination did not come with other recognitions that season, and it prompted a closer look into how campaigns influence the voting process. The Academy conducted a review to determine whether any outside influence affected the nomination, with mixed public commentary about the factors at play. [Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]