The Latest: 2026 Academy Awards get underway

The hold successful Hollywood is over: The 98th Academy Awards are underway.

Comedian Conan O’Brien is backmost for a 2nd twelvemonth to big the ceremonial connected Sunday, held astatine the Dolby Theatre successful Los Angeles. It’s an Oscars contention that seemed similar a runaway for “One Battle After Another” but whitethorn beryllium a adjacent telephone aft all, acknowledgment to immoderate late-season wins for “Sinners.” Other films with respective nominations see “Sentimental Value,” “Marty Supreme,” “Frankenstein” and “Hamnet.”

A picture-perfect sunny day greeted aboriginal arrivals astatine the Dolby Theatre connected Sunday.

The Latest astatine the Academy Awards:

Amy Madigan wins champion supporting actress

Madigan, pursuing a heavy cackle, said she thought of her code successful the ablution the time before.

“We’re benignant of advised, ’Don’t accidental each these names, arsenic cipher knows who the hellhole these radical are,’” she said. “But you’re not rattling them off. They mean thing to you; that you couldn’t beryllium present without them.”

AP Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr some picked Teyana Taylor (“One Battle After Another”) to triumph champion supporting actress. So did 40% of readers connected apnews.com, with Amy Madigan (“Weapons”) their 2nd pick.

Madigan won — and Taylor seemed to beryllium the archetypal to leap from her spot successful solemnisation erstwhile she was announced.

Conan’s disconnected and moving with the jokes

Conan O’Brien is disconnected and moving astatine the Oscars.

“I’m Conan O’Brien and I’m honored to beryllium the past quality big of the Academy Awards,” O’Brien said. “Yes! Yeah! Next twelvemonth it’s going to beryllium a Waymo successful a tux.”

And the jokes kept coming.

“Last twelvemonth erstwhile I hosted Los Angeles was connected fire,” O’Brien said. “But this year, everything’s going great.”

He besides quipped that there’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock, a motion to the hubbub implicit Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show.

And we’re off, with assistance from the Beastie Boys and Aunt Conan

Conan O’Brien’s opening skit: He complains astir wearing excessively overmuch constitution arsenic Aunt Gladys from “Weapons,” says helium looks similar “Bette Davis with lupus” and it’s each done to the soundtrack of “Sabotage” from the Beastie Boys, each arsenic helium runs done assorted scenes of this year’s nominated films.

“I can’t judge I learned Norwegian for this,” helium says, via subtitles, astatine 1 point. He past got chased onto the signifier by a horde of children.

The irreverent code for the opening is present set.

Police scrum removes protester blocking Oscars traffic

Police arrested 1 protester connected Sunday who was portion of a radical blocking postulation adjacent the Oscars.

Protesters wearing shirts saying, “Stop kid trafficking” huddled successful the mediate of the roadworthy a fewer blocks from the Oscars. Some sat successful the roadworthy portion others marched and shouted, “Turn the files into trials,” successful notation to the Jeffrey Epstein files, and, “Save our children not the pedos.”

Other protesters held signs related to the wars successful Iran and Gaza.

After a fewer minutes, constabulary broke up the blockade and ushered protesters to the sidewalks. A scrum of constabulary forcibly removed 1 protester sitting successful the mediate of the road.

The Los Angeles Police Department said accusation connected constabulary effect to Oscars-related incidents and apprehension numbers were not yet available.

Ava DuVernay says independency is cardinal for creativity

The manager of “Selma” and “13th” had immoderate proposal for chap manufacture professionals.

“You spot the manufacture consolidating, companies are eating each different and becoming 1 large happening that are controlled by entities that whitethorn oregon whitethorn not judge successful what you’re making,” DuVernay said.

“It’s truthful important to stay autarkic connected your ain money, marque your ain films, find your ways to get it to audiences.”

Amy Madigan’s celebrated defiance successful 1999

Amy Madigan is here! Oscar buzz for the “Weapons” prima is bringing a defiant infinitesimal backmost into the spotlight.

Madigan and hubby Ed Harris refused to clap for “On the Waterfront” manager Elia Kazan erstwhile helium received an honorary grant astatine the 1999 Oscars.

In 1952, Kazan revealed the names of erstwhile colleagues, who participated successful Communist Party activities with him, to the House Un-American Activities Committee. It was a arguable determination during the Red Scare erstwhile Hollywood figures were getting blacklisted, ending the careers of hundreds.

“Yeah, determination was nary mode we were going to bash that. No way,” Madigan precocious told the New York Times.

The archetypal victor of the night: Green, connected the reddish carpet

Kate Hudson, Demi Moore, Charithra Chandran and Wunmi Mosaku each person a small thing successful communal astatine the Oscars: They’re wearing green.

Different shades, sure, but connected the reddish carpet, it definite seemed to beryllium greenish that was stealing the show. An aboriginal trend, for certain.

A movie astir a Russian schoolhouse teaching wartime ideology is nominated for champion documentary

Not agelong aft Moscow invaded Ukraine successful 2022, schools successful Russia were told to clasp lessons and events that would beforehand the Kremlin’s warfare communicative and boost patriotism.

In the mining municipality of Karabash, immoderate 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) eastbound of Moscow, teacher Pavel Talankin was making government-mandated videos of those lessons successful his school. But helium besides was secretly moving with American filmmaker David Borenstein connected what would go the documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” nominated for champion documentary.

In aggregate interviews aft the film’s merchandise successful aboriginal 2025, Talankin said helium kept filming for implicit 2 years successful Karabash School No. 1, coordinating with Borenstein. He near Russia successful 2024 for information reasons, carrying copies of his footage connected hard drives.

The documentary follows Talankin, his students and different teachers arsenic they navigate Russia’s wartime ideology, imposed arsenic portion of the schoolhouse curriculum. It premiered astatine the Sundance Film Festival successful January 2025 and won the BAFTA grant for champion documentary this year.

Raphael Saadiq hopes ‘Sinners’ opus volition determination audience

He volition beryllium onstage contiguous performing “I Lied to You,” which is up for champion archetypal song.

“That’s what we privation to do, that’s what euphony is expected to do, we’re expected to determination people,” helium said.

Oscars’ In Memoriam conception volition beryllium extended

The Oscars volition beryllium saying farewell to a batch of cinema titans, and taking much clip to bash so.

Among them are Robert Duvall, Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and Rob Reiner.

Other talents who died successful the past twelvemonth see Brigitte Bardot, Val Kilmer, Michael Madsen, Terence Stamp, Diane Ladd, Sally Kirkland, Tom Stoppard and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

Already this year, the movie satellite has mislaid Catherine O’Hara, Robert Carradine, Eric Dane, James Van Der Beek and Bud Cort.

Among the overseas talents who died were Joan Plowright, Claudia Cardinale, Dharmendra, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Mohammad Bakri, Béla Tarr and Jimmy Cliff.

Given the ample fig of bold-faced names, producers person decided the In Memoriam conception volition beryllium longer than usual.

Assembling the conception involves deciding who gets placed successful what order, choosing euphony and the graphic plan of the names and titles, arsenic good arsenic wherever pauses are built successful for the prime giants of the movie world.

It’s up to the academy to determine who is included, which often leads to outcries astir who gets excluded.

A astonishment infinitesimal of wit successful ‘Hamnet’

Maggie O’Farrell, who wrote the publication that was adapted into Chloé Zhao’s champion representation nominee, said she knew the movie wouldn’t beryllium a “conventional, antiseptic benignant of costume drama.” One country successful peculiar work otherwise from her novel: Will’s proposal.

“They marque it truly funny, which I ne'er expected it to be,” O’Farrell said.

What volition the caller casting Oscar beryllium rewarding?

For the archetypal clip successful Oscars history, a statuette volition beryllium handed retired not lone to the stars but besides to the idiosyncratic who casts them.

The inaugural casting Oscar doesn’t admit the show of the actors, dissimilar the Actor Awards’ champion formed prize, which “Sinners” won earlier this month, and different comparable accolades. This award, by contrast, recognizes the behind-the-scenes originative process and collaboration by a casting manager with the filmmakers to prime the actors for their roles and trade a cohesive ensemble.

The nominees are Nina Gold (“Hamnet”), Jennifer Venditti (“Marty Supreme”), Cassandra Kulukundis (“One Battle After Another”), Gabriel Domingues (“The Secret Agent”) and Francine Maisler (“Sinners”). Each of the 5 films they worked connected are besides up for champion picture.

‘Cutting Through Rocks’ taxable stays successful Iran

The directors of the nominated Iranian documentary “Cutting Through Rocks” program to beryllium astatine the Oscars ceremony, but the pistillate astatine the halfway of their movie won’t marque it arsenic they’d hoped.

The film, changeable implicit galore years successful Iran by directors Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki, tells the communicative of Sara Shahverdi, who fought to loosen the grip of the patriarchy arsenic the archetypal pistillate to beryllium elected to the assembly of her village.

“Due to the U.S. question ban, on with the galore ongoing circumstances successful Iran, Sara Shahverdi is not capable to beryllium contiguous astatine the Oscars, the directors said successful an Instagram post. “We genuinely hoped to beryllium unneurotic aft 8 years of moving connected this movie broadside by side, but unfortunately, that won’t beryllium possible.”

“Cutting Through Rocks,” which premiered astatine past year’s Sundance Film Festival, is nominated for champion documentary feature.

A Japan-inspired motif connected the carpet

The Oscars reddish carpet sports an naturalistic, Japan-inspired motif this year, with Japanese maple trees lining the way to the Dolby Theatre and wood slat panels adding texture to immoderate of the walls.

The carpet itself is “red rock,” according to Academy representatives, with shades of earthy brownish making it darker than the accepted agleam red.

The reddish carpet is heating up (literally)

If everyone is looking a small shinier today, it’s due to the fact that it is already rather toasty connected the reddish carpet, which is lone going to get much crowded.

Production radical accidental that aft 2 days of blazing vigor during rehearsals, they were promised it would beryllium freezing.

Ryan Coogler isn’t dwelling connected imaginable history

Ryan Coogler understands what contiguous could mean for Oscar history. He’s conscionable not dwelling connected it.

Instead, connected Thursday, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker was looking guardant to spending 1 much nighttime with his “Sinners” collaborators who helped bring the movie to life.

Coogler could go the archetypal Black filmmaker to triumph champion manager successful the Academy Awards’ astir century-long history. While speaking earlier the eighth yearly Macro Pre-Oscars enactment successful Los Angeles, helium said he’s trying to enactment contiguous arsenic the ceremonial approaches.

“I’m conscionable trying to bask the days arsenic they come, enactment contiguous successful the moment,” Coogler told The Associated Press. “When Sunday comes, man, I’m propulsion up and bask celebrating each the movies that’s being celebrated here, including our own.”

▶ Read much from the interrogation with the “Sinners” director

Despite looming situation sentence, nominee Jafar Panahi plans to instrumentality to Iran

The Iranian dissident filmmaker, whose movie “It Was Just an Accident” was inspired by his clip arsenic a governmental prisoner, is facing a yearlong situation condemnation and two-year question prohibition for the film.

Yet Jafar Panahi inactive plans to instrumentality home.

“I cognize wherever I unrecorded and nether what government,” helium told AP done a translator earlier the warfare broke out, thing he’s reiterated to quality outlets since. “I besides cognize that specified works of creation travel with a terms that I person to pay.”

“I besides person the acquisition of surviving successful situation with radical who are wholly anonymous and unknown, and erstwhile they tin spell done monolithic symptom and nary 1 volition perceive astir it. But arsenic soon arsenic thing is incorrect with me, the full satellite knows.”

How AIDS activists inspired migration organizers’ reddish carpet symbolism

“ICE OUT” and “BE GOOD” pins person go 1 of this awards season’s astir disposable accessories.

Mark Ruffalo, Jean Smart and Ariana Grande were among the Hollywood stars donning the protestation apparel astatine January’s Golden Globes. But organizers really took inspiration from AIDS activists of the 1980s and 90s.

Maremoto Executive Director Jess Morales Rocketto says they followed the illustration of groups similar ACT UP, whose reddish ribbons appeared astatine the televised 1991 Tony Awards arsenic a motion of solidarity.

“It is expected to intervene successful a spot that would different beryllium 100% astir the commerce of marque deals and movie promotions,” she said of the achromatic buttons protesting the Trump administration’s migration enforcement.

Who is performing?

Performances are often the astir memorable parts of the Academy Awards. If you disagree it is astir apt due to the fact that you skipped the 2024 Oscars erstwhile Ryan Gosling’s show of “I’m Just Ken” stole the show. This year, viewers tin expect immoderate likewise entertaining moments. EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, the voices down the fictional miss radical HUNTR/X, volition execute the monolithic “Golden” from the animated blockbuster “KPop Demon Hunters.” According to the Academy, the show volition diagnostic “a fusion of accepted Korean instrumentalists and dance” arsenic well.

That’s not all: Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq volition bring their “Sinners” deed “I Lied To You” to the Oscars signifier — and volition beryllium joined by Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey and Alice Smith for the bluesy number.

Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale are besides scheduled to appear.

These 11 actors earned their archetypal nominations

Best actor:

1. Michael B. Jordan successful “Sinners” 2. Wagner Moura successful “The Secret Agent”

Best supporting actor:

3. Jacob Elordi successful “Frankenstein” 4. Delroy Lindo successful “Sinners” 5. Stellan Skarsgård successful “Sentimental Value”

Best actress:

6. Rose Byrne successful “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” 7. Renate Reinsve successful “Sentimental Value”

Best supporting actress:

8. Elle Fanning successful “Sentimental Value” 9. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas successful “Sentimental Value” 10. Wunmi Mosaku successful “Sinners” 11. Teyana Taylor successful “One Battle After Another”

‘Sinners’ already has an Oscar grounds for nominations. But what does that mean?

“Sinners” is already successful uncharted Oscar waters.

It has 16 Oscar nominations, 2 much than immoderate different movie successful history. “Titanic,” “La La Land” and “All About Eve” each had 14.

“Titanic” won 11 Oscars, portion “La La Land” and “All astir Eve” each won six.

So, it’s tenable to expect a somewhat sizable haul for “Sinners.” Then again, “The Turning Point” and “The Color Purple” astir apt felt the aforesaid mode successful their Oscar years. They some went 0-for-11 connected Oscar night.

“Sinners” grabbed 16 of a imaginable 17 Oscar nominations this year. The 1 it didn’t get: champion actress.

The grounds for Oscar wins is 11: “Ben-Hur” (out of 12 nominations), “Titanic” (out of 14 nominations) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (which went a cleanable 11-0, sweeping wins successful each class that it was up for).

How academy leaders are approaching the Oscars

Lynette Howell Taylor has seen the Oscars from a fewer antithetic vantage points: As a nominee, successful 2019 for “A Star is Born,” arsenic a shaper of the broadcast successful 2020, arsenic a subordinate of the movie academy’s committee of governors and, for the past 3 years, arsenic awards chair. It’s made her archetypal twelvemonth arsenic the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences consciousness similar a earthy transition. And 1 happening she is definite of is that each Oscars is unique.

“Every twelvemonth is different,” Taylor said successful a caller interrogation alongside movie Academy CEO Bill Kramer. “Every play is different. Every acceptable of movies is different. And so, the amusement is ever antithetic each year.”

It’s a tricky happening to some grant the radical successful the country portion besides making an entertaining amusement for a location audience. But down the scenes, from returning big Conan O’Brien to the producers and Emmy-winning accumulation plan team, is simply a radical of radical who cognize however to dazzle a planetary audience.

▶ Read much from the interview

Who’s hosting the Oscars?

After successfully presiding implicit the 97th Oscars, Conan O’Brien is hosting for the 2nd twelvemonth straight. His instrumentality to the Oscars signifier was announced astir a twelvemonth ago. In a connection past March, helium said, “The lone crushed I’m hosting the Oscars adjacent twelvemonth is that I privation to perceive Adrien Brody decorativeness his speech.”

Showrunner and enforcement shaper Raj Kapoor and enforcement shaper Katy Mullan person been toiling for months putting unneurotic Sunday’s show.

“His humor, his tone, his reverence to the creation form? He truly cares astir making this a existent celebration,” Mullan said of O’Brien. “We’ve been successful tears of laugher … There are truthful galore large moments that he’s going to bring to the show.”

One of the themes of the amusement this twelvemonth is the quality touch, Kapoor said, from the acceptable plan to the packages.

“It’s truly the communicative of however we consciousness this transportation and however this heartbeat of cinema is unmistakably human,” Kapoor said. “Hopefully the full amusement and however Conan makes you consciousness and each of it is similar it’s each touched by quality hands and quality creativity.”

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