Who is nominated?
Several stars are up for awards this year. The nominees Best Actress in a Leading Role are Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday), Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman), Frances McDormand (Nomadland) and Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman). Viola has previously won an Oscar for supporting actress in 2017 for Fences, while Frances won for leading actress in 2018 for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and supporting actress in 1997 for Fargo.
For the gents, those nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role are Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Anthony Hopkins (The Father), Gary Oldman (Mank) and Steven Yeun (Minari).
One of the favorites in the category is the late Chadwick, who died in August from colon cancer but went on to score his first Oscar nom posthumously. The Black Panther alum also took home the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama, the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture and the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in recent months.
Who is expected to be there in person?
Many of the attendees may appear in person, even though previous award shows like the 2020 Emmys and 2021 Golden Globes saw several at-home acceptance speeches.
In March, the producers emailed nominees to tell them no Zoom would be allowed, with all appearances needing to be in person at the ceremony. However, after The Academy faced criticism for the policy, organizers indicated they would loosen the requirements, according to The Hollywood Reporter.