When Are The Oscars: Times, Nominees and Key Moments to Watch
when are the oscars — The 98th Academy Awards land this Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with a crowded race centered on Sinners and One Battle After Another. Sinners leads the nominations with a record-breaking 16 nods, and box-office giants and critical darlings line the ballots across categories. Expect early evening red-carpet coverage and a main ceremony in the evening; all times below are given in ET.
When Are The Oscars: Times and Ceremony Details
Questions of when are the oscars are answered in the schedule: the official red-carpet preshow begins at 6: 30 p. m. ET, which is 30 minutes before the main ceremony, placing the ceremony start at 7: 00 p. m. ET. Separate red-carpet coverage is slated to begin even earlier at 5: 30 p. m. ET for extended arrivals and interviews. If you’re tracking when are the oscars for planning, mark 5: 30 p. m. ET for early arrivals, 6: 30 p. m. ET for the preshow and 7: 00 p. m. ET for the main event.
Key Races and Nomination Leaders
The nominations list has shaped the conversation: Sinners tops the field with 16 nominations and sits in a close fight with One Battle After Another for the biggest prizes. There are 10 films competing for best picture this year: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners and Train Dreams. Box-office figures in the nominated slate are notable — Zootopia 2 leads with $1. 86bn worldwide, the Avatar threequel Fire & Ash has taken $1. 48bn, and F1 stands as the highest-grossing best-picture contender with $632m.
Individual milestone facts pepper the ballot: Emma Stone, at 37, has reached seven Oscar nominations and is the only actress whose first five nominations were all for films also nominated for best picture. Frankenstein’s journey from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel to this adaptation spans a 207-year gap — one of the longest source-to-screen intervals in awards history. On the performer front, Jessie Buckley’s turn in Hamnet is widely regarded as the leading contender for best actress.
Reactions, Quotes and What Comes Next
Voices from the field are already framing the night. Sinners director Ryan Coogler reflected on formative cinema memories and creative influences, saying, “I’m not a big soda person, but when they started to let you mix and match the drinks, I got involved with that. ” Comedian Conan O’Brien, who returns as host for a second consecutive year, put the mood plainly: “The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech. ” O’Brien’s previous ceremony drew an estimated 19. 7 million viewers, the largest broadcast audience for the show in five years.
As premieres and post-nomination events close out, many are asking when are the oscars in practical terms — which performance will secure wins, how the industry will respond, and whether box-office momentum translates to statuettes. With categories widely described as too close to call in several spots, the evening is shaping up for surprises and last-minute swings.
Final note: if you want a quick checklist on when are the oscars, remember the key ET times above and that the evening will place major awards between top contenders such as Sinners and One Battle After Another. Industry reaction and acceptance speeches will define the next 24 hours after the ceremony, and the scene will shift immediately to winners’ plans and studio responses — watch the evening closely to see which films and performances reshape awards-season narratives.
