This Sunday, the 93rd Academy Awards will air after the weirdest year ever for Hollywood. There’s a wide-ranging spread of COVID-19 protocols that will change the look of the big night and create a somewhat scaled-back event, but it can’t take away from the excellent movies all vying for one of the golden statues. The Oscar 2021 nominations are some of the most diverse and varied in the history of the awards ceremony – a first step toward the Academy equally valuing all sorts of stories, not just the ones told by and about white men and the occasional white woman, as well as equally valuing the storytellers.
Leading the field is Netflix’s Mank from director David Fincher with 10 nominations, followed by The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Minari, Nomadland, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7 with six nominations apiece and Promising Young Woman with five.
Now that we know which Hollywood talent and films are up for awards, however, it begs the question: Who will be presenting those awards? Or hosting the show?
For the third year in a row, the Oscars will be going hostless, a move that has proved popular with audiences. The list of presenters, however, is a star-studded one, including the usual tradition of Oscar winners from last year presenting, along with a number of other A-listers and rising stars. The list of presenters includes:
- Angela Bassett
- Halle Berry
- Bong Joon Ho*
- Don Cheadle,
- Bryan Cranston
- Laura Dern
- Harrison Ford
- Regina King
- Marlee Matlin
- Rita Moreno
- Joaquin Phoenix**
- Brad Pitt**
- Reese Witherspoon**
- Renée Zellweger**
- Zendaya
(* 2020’s Best Director winner; ** 2020’s acting category winners)
If that list seems short, that’s because it is; more names are expected to be announced closer to the show on Sunday.
The Oscars awards show will also not be short on entertainment. As always, all five songs nominated in the Best Original Song category will be performed throughout the ceremony. Those songs include “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah, performed by Grammy-winning artist H.E.R.; “Speak Now” from One Night In Miami being performed by Hamilton star (and Best Supporting Actor nominee) Leslie Odom Jr.; “Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga sung by Swedish performer Molly Sandén on location in actual Húsavík, Iceland; “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se); and “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7.
As for when, where, and how you can watch the 93rd Academy Awards this Sunday, here are the details:
- When: Sunday, April 25 at 8pm ET/5pm PT (red carpet coverage will begin at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT)
- Where: Multiple locations, including the Dolby Theatre and Union Station
- How: Live on ABC network, along with the ABC app. Other streamable options include YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.
Tune in this Sunday to see who goes home with the golden hardware at the 93rd Academy Awards.
