Have we actually, truly reached the end of Awards Season 2020?! Since the first week of January, we have have survived your standard cavalcade of nominations, perplexing snubs, statuettes, performances, and the lengthy (but necessary) discourse regarding just who keeps getting left out of these things. But come Sunday, February 9, the 92nd Academy Awards will arrive to wrap up the most stress-inducing period for the entertainment industry and promptly leave us to our Twitter rehashing and discarded ballots. We’ve already taken a good, thorough look a this year’s Oscar nominees, so for those who are still hanging on, here’s what you need to know before one of the biggest nights in film.
Where to watch
The 92nd Academy Awards will air live from L.A.’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday, February 9 at 8 PM EST. (For a little extra razzle dazzle, tune in 6:30 PM EST for the red carpet show.) Viewers can watch the good old fashioned way by tuning in to ABC or by livestreaming the ceremony via ABC’s website or the network’s app. The Oscars website has an FAQ page where you can assess your available streaming options, which is ultimately impacted by your location and internet/cable provider.
Who’s hosting
Nobody! Welcome to the future, where large-scale events just kind of run themselves. It’s fine, everything’s fine.
Who’s presenting
It’s totally possible that The Academy will announce freshly added presenters in the coming days. As of now, the list include James Corden, Penélope Cruz, Beanie Feldstein, Zack Gottsagen, Diane Keaton, Shia LaBeouf, George MacKay, Steve Martin, Keanu Reeves, Maya Rudolph and Sigourney Weaver, Mahershala Ali, Zazie Beetz, Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman, Will Ferrell, Gal Gadot, Mindy Kaling, Regina King, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rami Malek, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anthony Ramos, Mark Ruffalo, Kelly Marie Tran, and Kristen Wiig. The idea of Shia LeBeouf and Will Ferrell presenting together does paint a someone chaotic picture, so we hope the powers that be recognize an opportunity for some necessary fun and make that a reality. Also, how many times does Maya Rudolph have to hilariously hand over golden statues before they allow her to host the damn thing?
Update, 2/5/20: The Oscars just announced the final group of celebrities to present,which includes Jane Fonda, Josh Gad, Tom Hanks, Oscar Isaac, Sandra Oh, Natalie Portman, Chris Rock, and Taika Waititi.
Who’s performing
Unlike the Grammys—a live rendering of your most uninhibited Spotify list, with just as many commercials—the Oscars like to keep the roster of performances rather tight. This year the Academy has tapped newly minted Grammy winner Billie Eilish for a “special performance,” which can manifest as anything from the highly speculated debut of title track for No Time To Die to something akin to her mind-bending display on Saturday Night Live. (We imagine it’ll be much, much closer to the former.) She will be joining all five Original Song nominees: Cynthia Erivo, Elton John, Idina Menzel, Chrissy Metz, and Randy Newman.
Update, 2/6/20: The Academy is still rounding out its lineup of artists, it seems. Today, Rolling Stone reports that Janelle Monae will also be taking the stage in an undisclosed performance, which she hints will “light the stage on fire.” Though she did appear with Erivo in Harriet, Monae’s performance sounds like its own entity.
Watch along with The A.V. Club
Come Oscar night, join the staff of The A.V. Club for a live blog of the ceremony. Meanwhile, we’ll be tracking the winners, breaking out the big stories, and capturing the most memorable moments in Newswire and on Twitter.
See you Sunday!