Hollywood gathers for Oscars as Best Picture race remains wide open

Ariana Grande, Zoe Saldana, and Selena Gomez graced the Oscars red carpet on Sunday, as Hollywood prepared for its biggest night with no clear Best Picture frontrunner among “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” and “Conclave.”

A Night of Glamour and High Stakes

Host Conan O’Brien promised a mix of jokes, film tributes, and serious moments, including nods to Los Angeles' recovery from wildfires.

Timothée Chalamet and Demi Moore are strong contenders for their first Academy Awards, while Kieran Culkin is the favorite for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “A Real Pain.”

A Tight Best Picture Race

The Best Picture category remains unpredictable, with three leading contenders:

"Anora" – A sex worker’s Cinderella story.
"The Brutalist" – A Jewish architect chasing the American dream.
"Conclave" – A drama about the Vatican’s secretive pope selection process.

Blockbuster contenders include the musical “Wicked” and Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.”

Diverse Nominations and Global Influence

The Netflix musical “Emilia Perez” leads with the most nominations, though star Karla Sofia Gascon faced controversy over resurfaced social media posts.

Meanwhile, Best Actress could go to Demi Moore (“The Substance”), though Brazil’s Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”) may cause an upset.

As the Academy embraces more international voters, Hollywood’s place in the global film industry is under scrutiny, with none of the Best Picture nominees filmed in Los Angeles.

With no dominant film, the Oscars race remains unpredictable—keeping the suspense alive until the final award.

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