Overview
- The 98th Academy Awards are underway at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with Conan O’Brien hosting.
- The race is defined by Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ with a record 16 nominations versus Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ with 13 after strong critics’ and Golden Globes showings for the latter.
- Live updates report Amy Madigan winning the night’s first statuette and ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ securing an early win.
- The new Achievement in Casting category debuts, lifting the total to 24 awards; nominees are Francine Maisler, Jennifer Venditti, Cassandra Kulukundis, Nina Gold and Gabriel Domingues.
- Warner Bros. dominates the field, backing both leading contenders as outlets note the studio’s roughly 30 nominations.