Oscars 2019 Complete Coverage: Red carpets, musical performances and winners
It's time for the 91st annual Academy Awards
The final list of the winners at the 91st Academy Awards:
Best picture: "Green Book"
Best actress: Olivia Colman, "The Favourite"
Best actor: Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Best director: Alfonso Cuaron, "Roma"
Best supporting actress: Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Best supporting actor: Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"
Foreign language film: Mexico's "Roma"
Original screenplay: "Green Book," Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly
Adapted screenplay: "BlacKkKlansman," Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee
Original Song: "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born," music and lyrics by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt.
Cinematography: Alfonso Cuaron, "Roma"
Best animated film: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
Original Score: "Black Panther," Ludwig Goransson
Costume design: Ruth Carter, "Black Panther"
Production design: "Black Panther"
Sound Editing: "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Sound Mixing: "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Film Editing: John Ottman, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Animated short film: "Bao"
Documentary short subject: "Period. End of Sentence"
Visual effects: "First Man"
Live action short film: "Skin"
Documentary feature: "Free Solo"
Makeup and hairstyling: "Vice"
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8.15am
“Green Book” wins best picture.
The film from Universal Pictures stars Mahershala Ali as an African-American concert pianist in the 1960s and Viggo Mortensen as his driver. It won three Oscars on Sunday, including best supporting actor for Ali and best original screenplay.
Based on a real-life road trip through the deep south in the early 1960s, Green Book's victory proved a considerable upset at the awards, after a night largely marked by predictability.
After Alfonso Cuaron took best director for Roma, a victory in the main category -to add to best foreign language film and best cinematography -had seemed a certainty.
In their speeches, the producers explained that the film was about "living together despite our differences"; they also dedicated the award to the late Carrie Fisher.
Named after the motoring handbook originally designed to help African American travellers avoid dangerous areas in pre-civil rights US, Green Book is the story of black concert pianist Don Shirley and his Italian-American bodyguard/driver Tony Vallelonga, aka Tony Lip. It is directed by Peter Farelly, and stars Viggo Mortensen as Vallelonga and Mahershala Ali as Shirley.
Prior to the Oscars, Green Book won a string of high profile awards, including best picture (musical or comedy) at the Golden Globes, and the influential People's Choice award at the Toronto film festival. However, despite its liberal credentials, Green Book has found itself under an increasing tide of criticism . Co-writer and producer Nick Vallelonga apologised after an anti-Muslim tweet, while director Peter Farrelly also apologised after accusations of serial sexual misconduct.
8.13am
Alfonso Cuaron wins best director for “Roma.” This is his fourth Oscar and second win tonight.
Alfonso Cuaron is the winner of the Academy Award for best director. It's the second time Cuaron has won an Oscar as best director. He previously won in 2014 for "Gravity." His film "Roma" is based on his childhood in Mexico and the woman who raised him.
I grew up watching foreign language films, learning so much from them, being inspired - films like 'Citizen Kane,' 'Jaws.' And there are no waves, there's only the ocean
Cuaron has also won two Oscars Sunday night, as well as the best foreign language film for Mexico, its first. The writer-director dedicated his speech to domestic workers, noting that tens of millions of them work around the world with any rights.
8am
Olivia Colman wins best actress for “The Favourite.”
Britain's Olivia Colman won the best actress Oscar on Sunday for her performance as a petulant monarch in historical comedy "The Favourite." It was the first Oscar and first nomination for Colman, 45, who is one of the most beloved and prolific actresses in British television. Colman also won the Golden Globe and British BAFTA awards for her performance.
"The Favourite" sees Colman portray Britain's 18th-century Queen Anne as an insecure, frail and tempestuous royal who treats her horde of indoor rabbits as if they were her dead children.
She gazed at Close in the audience and said
"You've been my idol for so long and this is not how I wanted it to be."
Colman, who keeps a low profile in Hollywood but is regarded as a national treasure in Britain, has said she enjoyed playing the role of a woman who is "filthy and sexy and emotional and sad" rather than attempting to be "gorgeous all the time and a little bit sort of prettily flawed." The self-effacing actress began her career in England some 20 years ago, racking up credits on comedy sketch shows and in dramatic roles such as television police murder mystery "Broadchurch" and spy thriller "The Night Manager." She will next play the role of a middle-aged Queen Elizabeth in the upcoming third season of the Netflix drama "The Crown" about the British royal family.
7.50am
Rami Malek wins best actor for “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Rami Malek won his first Oscar on Sunday for his portrayal of late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in musical "Bohemian Rhapsody." Malek, 37, had emerged as a favorite for the Oscar in recent weeks after winning Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and British BAFTA awards.
My dad didn't get to see me do any of this, but I think he's looking down on me right now
A Los Angeles native of Egyptian descent, Malek took on the role of Mercury, born to etnhic Parsi parents from India who moved their family to England when he was in his late teens.
Being neither a singer, dancer nor piano player, Malek did months of research and took voice, movement, piano and guitar lessons in order to capture Mercury's accent, his strutting stage performances and the way he commanded a microphone.
The closing section of the film recreates almost move by move the Live Aid benefit concert in London where Queen played in July 1985.
Filmmakers used a combination of Mercury's real voice, Malek's voice and another singer against the band's original recordings to showcase Queen's hits. The soundtrack is so closely interwoven that Malek has said he cannot tell who is singing at any particular point.
Malek has said that getting the prosthetic for Mercury's famously jutting teeth, which he started wearing a year before shooting the film, was key to his performance.
The film also documents Mercury's personal battles, including his struggle with his sexuality and drug and alcohol use. In 1991, Mercury was one of the first British celebrities to die from AIDS, at age 45.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" was Malek's biggest film role in a 15-year career as an actor. He was previously best known for playing the socially awkward hacker Elliot Anderson in TV series "Mr. Robot" for which he won an Emmy award in 2016.
Other television and movie roles include "Papillon" and "BoJack Horseman." Malek won the Oscar despite negative publicity around the film. "Bohemian Rhapsody" director Bryan Singer was accused of sexual misconduct involving underage men in the 1990s in an article published in January this year by The Atlantic magazine.
Singer, who was fired in 2017 towards the end of filming after clashing with some cast members, issued a statement denying the accusations. Malek has said he was not aware of the accusations against Singer while filming.
FUN FACT
"Bohemian Rhapsody" has won more Oscars than "The Godfather."
Rami Malek's win for lead actor at the Oscars on Sunday brought "Bohemian Rhapsody's" total tally for the evening to four wins. The Queen biopic went into the evening nominated in five categories at the 91st Academy Awards. In addition to Malek's award, "Bohemian Rhapsody" took prizes for sound mixing, sound editing and film editing. (It lost to "Green Book" in the category of best picture.)
To compare, 1973 best-picture winner "The Godfather," which always ranks high among critics' lists of best movies ever made, won only three Oscars that year. While the film was nominated in 11 categories, the only other winners were Marlon Brando for acting, as well as Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo for adapted screenplay.
7.35am
Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt win best original song for “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born.”
Lady Gaga is a Grammy winner many times over. On Sunday, the pop diva became an Oscar winner, taking the trophy for best original song for her power ballad "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born."
Before accepting the award at the Dolby Theatre, Gaga belted out the number with her co-star Bradley Cooper.
On stage, she was tearful.
"There's not a single person on the planet that could have sang this song with me but you. Thank you for believing in us," she said to Cooper, who also directed the film, the latest reimagining of the classic Hollywood tale.
The singer, also a nominee for best actress, then offered a message to aspiring artists like her character in the film, Ally, who gets her big break when she meets troubled rocker Jackson, played by Cooper.
"This is hard work. I've worked hard for a long time, and it's not about, you know, it's not about winning. But what it's about is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it," Gaga told the audience.
"There's a discipline for passion, and it's not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down, or you're beaten up. It's about how many times you stand up, and are brave, and you keep going."
"Shallow" bested songs from superhero blockbuster "Black Panther," documentary "RBG," Coen brothers film "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" and Disney reboot "Mary Poppins Returns."
7.25am
Spike Lee won his first Oscar ever for best adapted screenplay for his film "BlacKkKlansman."
Lee started out his acceptance speech with some profanity, telling producers not to start the clock on his speech. Winners have been allotted 90 seconds for their speech from the time their names are called.
Lee ready from a two-page letter that tied together history and the years 1619 and 2019, along with his own story.
The writer-director shares the award with Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott.
Lee received the award from Samuel L. Jackson, who has appeared in Lee's film. Jackson ribbed Lee at the outset of his presentation along with actress Brie Larson, reciting the score of the Knicks game, who notched a rare win.
7.17am
"Green Book" wins for best original screenplay
The winners are Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly.
"Green Book" is based on the real-life story of Vallelonga's father, who drove African-American pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the 1960s and is played by Viggo Mortensen in the film.
"Green Book" is also nominated for best picture, and has already won the best supporting actor Oscar for Mahershala Ali, who played Shirley in the film.
7.07am
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper perform a beautiful rendition of "Shallow".
7.03am
"First Man" wins the Oscar for visual effects.
"First Man" beats out films about the Avengers and Han Solo.
Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm take the trophy for recreating Neil Armstrong's moon landing. It's the second Oscar for Lambert and Hunter, the first for the other two men.
Other nominees in the category were "Avengers: Infinity War," ''Christopher Robin," ''Ready Player One," and "Solo: A Star Wars Story."
6.53am
“Period. End of Sentence.” by Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton wins for documentary short subject.
Oh, my God. I'm not crying because I'm on my period or anything. I can't believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar
The India-set film on the taboos around menstruation and featuring the real 'Pad Man', picked up an Oscar in Documentary Short Subject category at the 91st Academy Awards ceremony.
The film, backed by Indian producer Guneet Monga's Sikhya Entertainment, is about women in India fighting against the deeply rooted stigma of menstruation and delving upon the work of real life 'Pad Man' Arunachalam Muruganathan.
Directed by award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi, the film is created by The Pad Project, an organisation established by an inspired group of students at the Oakwood School in Los Angeles and their teacher, Melissa Berton.
The 26-minute film follows girls and women in Hapur in northern India and their experience with the installation of a pad machine in their village. It was pitted against "Black Sheep", "End Game", "Lifeboat" and "A Night At The Garden".
"I can't believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar," Zehtabchi said as she got up on the stage to accept the honour.
Zehtabchi and Berton accepted the award with their inspiring words. "I'm not crying because I'm on my period or anything."
A Netflix documentary, "Period..." is executive produced by Guneet Monga and is co-produced by Monga's Sikhya Entertainment, which has backed films like "The Lunchbox" and "Masaan". The Indian producer even got a huge shout out from the team while accepting the award.
"Guneet Monga - know that you have been empowering women all over the world fight for menstrual equality," Zehtabchi said.
Thrilled after the win, Monga tweeted: "We won! To every girl on this earth... know that you are a goddess... if heavens are listening... look MA we put @sikhya on the map."
Berton dedicated the award to her school, saying "the project was born because her students in LA and people in India wanted to make a human rights difference".
"I share this award with the Feminist Majority Foundation, the entire team and cast. I share this with the teachers and students around the worlds - a period should end a sentence, not a girl's education," she said.
6.50am
“Bao" by Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb wins for best animated short film.
6.35am
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” wins best animated feature.
Everyone's favorite neighborhood webslinger is now an Oscar winner - "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" has won the best animated feature Academy Award. It is the first Marvel superhero film to win an Oscar.
The ground-breaking and mind-bending film about multiple spider-heroes from multiple universes gives Sony Pictures its first Oscar for animated feature, a category that has been dominated by Disney for its 18-year existence.
6.30am
Mahershala Ali wins best supporting actor for “Green Book.” This is his second Oscar.
Mahershala Ali won the Academy Award on Sunday for his role in dramedy "Green Book" as a real-life black pianist who battles racism during a concert tour of the segregated U.S. South.
It was the second Oscar for the 45-year-old American actor, who took home the supporting actor trophy two years ago for playing a mentor to a young boy in best picture winner "Moonlight." In "Green Book," Ali portrays classical and jazz pianist and composer Don Shirley. The film focuses on Shirley's relationship with his white driver, played by Viggo Mortensen, during a 1962 road trip through the U.S. South. Shirley died in 2013.
He won the Oscar despite assertions by some of Shirley's family members that the portrayal of the pianist contained inaccuracies, and the resurfacing of accusations of sexual impropriety by director Peter Farrelly.
Farrelly in January apologized for his actions two decades ago, and Ali has said he respects Shirley's family and has spoken with them.
Ali began his acting career in 2001, appearing as a doctor on television series "Crossing Jordan." He played dozens of roles across film, television and theater before gaining widespread attention as industry lobbyist Remy Danton on Netflix series "House of Cards." When he collected the trophy for "Moonlight," Ali was the first Muslim to win an Oscar for acting.
Ali's birth name is Mahershalalhashbaz, which was taken from the Bible and used by the actor early in his career. He decided to shorten his professional name to Mahershala, according to a 2016 story in Vanity Fair, when he was told his real name was too long to fit on the poster for 2012 film "The Place Beyond the Pines." Ali currently stars in his first leading TV role as Arkansas police detective Wayne Hays on HBO series "True Detective." (Reporting by
6.22am
Another win for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” John Ottman wins best film editing. This is his first Oscars win.
6.15am
Bette Midler sang “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns.”
6.10am
Mexico's 'Roma' wins Oscar for best foreign language film.
Mexican film "Roma," about a housekeeper in a middle-class family in the 1970s, won the Oscar on Sunday for best foreign language film.
The black-and-white Netflix film, directed and written by Alfonso Cuaron, marked Mexico's first Oscar victory in the category and has already picked up a slew of other awards this year.
The film was inspired by Cuaron's childhood and a domestic worker who helped raise him. It features a largely unknown or amateur cast.
The title is taken from the Mexico City Colonia Roma neighborhood where Cuaron grew up.
"Roma" stars Yalitza Aparicio as a domestic worker named Cleo who becomes pregnant as she cares for a family with four children as the parents are splitting up. Political turmoil in Mexico serves as a backdrop, with Cleo witnessing a 1971 massacre of protesters that marked the beginning of a "dirty war" against dissenters.
The film depicts her character speaking in the indigenous language of Mixtec.
6.03am
Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali wins best sound mixing for “Bohemian Rhapsody”
6am
John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone win best sound editing for “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“We got to work with Queen for our day job, which was wonderful,” Warhurst said.
5.53am
Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson performs “I’ll Fight,” a song written by Diane Warren for the documentary “RBG,” about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
5.45am
Alfonso Cuarón wins best cinematography for “Roma.”
5.40am
"Black Panther" has won the Academy Award for production design and made Oscar history for the second time Sunday evening.
Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart win for best production design for “Black Panther.”
Beachler is the first African American to be nominated in this category. Her win came moments after "Black Panther" costume designer Ruth E. Carter became the first black winner in that category.
Beachler wins the Oscar along with set designer Jay R. Hart.
Beachler broke down in tears during her acceptance speech, which started out with her thanking "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler.
5.32am
Black Panther wins for best costume design. Ruth E. Carter wins best costume design.
'Black Panther's' Ruth E. Carter makes history as first African American to win for costume design. "Black Panther" costume designer Ruth E. Carter made history on Sunday as the first African-American to win the costume design Oscar for her work on the Marvel blockbuster
Wow, I got it. This has been a long time coming. Spike Lee, thank you for my start. I hope this makes you proud
Carter, an expert in period detail, became the first black person to be nominated for the costume design Oscar in 1993 for her work on Spike Lee's "Malcolm X." She was again nominated for her costume work on Steven Spielberg's 1997 slave-ship drama "Amistad." Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther," which is up for best picture, marked her third invitation to the high-profile ceremony.
"Marvel may have created the first black superhero, but through costume design we turned him into an African king," she said Sunday. "It's been my life's honor to create costumes."
5.27am
Vice wins for best make up and hair styling. Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney recieved the third Oscar of the evening.
5.20am
“Free Solo” wins best documentary feature.
"Free Solo" has won the best documentary feature Academy Award.
Free Solo was co-produced by Image Nation AbuDhabi and became the first documentary partly funded and supported by the UAE to ever win an Oscar.
The film follows elite rock-climber Alex Honnold's attempt to ascend the famed El Capitan rock formation at Yosemite National Park without ropes.
The film was directed and co-produced by the husband-and-wife team of Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. Vasarhelyi thanked National Geographic, and specifically called them out for hiring female directors. She ended her speech by saying the film is "for everyone who believes in the impossible."
5.15am
The winner for best supporting actress is: Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Regina King won the best supporting actress Oscar on Sunday for her portrayal of a mother defending her daughter's boyfriend, wrongfully accused of rape, in "If Beale Street Could Talk."
To be standing here, representing one of the greatest artists of our time, James Baldwin, is a little surreal. James birthed this baby, and Barry, you nurtured her, you surrounded her with so much love and support.
King bested a tough field that included Amy Adams ("Vice"), Marina de Tavira ("Roma"), and Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, both in "The Favourite."
Nominees for best supporting actress:
Amy Adams, "Vice"
Marina de Tavira, "Roma"
Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Emma Stone, "The Favourite"
Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite"
5am
The iconic band Queen kicked off the 91st Oscars Awards Ceremony with a rollicking performance of "We Will Rock You" sung by frontman Adam Lambert.
The group - on which the nominated film "Bohemian Rhapsody" is based - also brought the crowd to its feet with a rendition of the classic "We Are The Champions."
The performance was followed by a hilarious monologue by Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph.
Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph kicked off the 2019 Oscars telecast Sunday as presenters of the award for supporting actress.
That Fey, Poehler and Rudolf presented the award is a departure from Oscars tradition. In past telecasts, the winner of the previous year's supporting actor award would be called on to present it. Sam Rockwell won the 2018 supporting actor Oscar.
Taking the stage after a prepared montage reel, the three actresses wasted no time before joking about the various curveballs the Academy Awards faced in the lead-up to the ceremony.
In particular, they noted how the Oscars were hostless, how no awards would be presented during commercial breaks and, with the first Trump dig of the night, mentioned that Mexico would not be paying for that wall.
The trio also teased just what sort of bits they would have included had they been tasked with the hosting job. They also posed long enough to make it seem like they were the hosts of the show.
Fashion Recap
Regina King brought Old Hollywood alive on the Oscar red carpet Sunday in a romantic white gown with a touch of sparkle and a long train, while Jennifer Lopez stunned in silver adorned with mirror shards and Lady Gaga sported a huge yellow diamond.
Constance Wu in sunshine yellow and Emilia Clarke in lavender looked every bit young ingenues.
King, nominated for "If Beale Street Could Talk," paired her strapless ruched look with a white gold and diamond bracelet and pear-shaped diamond drop earrings from Chopard.
Gaga went for strapless black by Alexander McQueen, her platinum hair piled high. Her major necklace was by Tiffany & Co. Black opera gloves finished the look.
Thank you, Carolina Herrera creative director Wes Gordon, for the queen-worthy pale gold custom look created for nominee Glenn Close. It was by far her standout look of the awards season, with a cape, hand-embroidery and glass bugle beads. It took 40 craftsman and 3 million beads.
And thank you, Billy Porter, for getting the fashion parade off to a fierce start in Los Angeles.
Often a fashion adventurer, the stage performer, singer and actor stood tall and proud in a bombshell velvet tuxedo gown created by Christian Siriano. There was a bow tie, ruffle-cuff white shirt and classic tuxedo jacket on top paired with a strapless full-skirted gown in inky black.
Nobody was more excited than Siriano himself. He tweeted the look as soon as Porter hit the carpet.
Speaking of fierce, Lopez and Brie Larson were both wearing silver dresses that could have doubled as armor, both with high necks. The Lopez look must have weighed a ton, while Larson's sparkler was sleeveless with a revealing side slit.
Wu, a star of "Crazy Rich Asians," wore a delicate pleated gown with fluttery asymmetrical sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. It was custom Versace. She pulled her hair back in a youthful high ponytail, which allowed her drop diamond earrings to shine.
Clarke, of "Game of Thrones" fame, went sparkly strapless in an asymmetrical neck design.
Spike Lee was a study in a hue of purple favored by the late music icon Prince, one of his heroes, from his billed cap to his round glasses to his suit. He was on Instagram over the weekend bubbling about the sneakers. Foot flash has been a trademark as he made his way through the awards circuit for his "BlacKkKlansman."
Lee showed off "Hate" and "Love" rings worn by the late Bill Nunn as Radio Raheem in the director's "Do the Right Thing."
Yalitza Aparicio, who shined as Cleo in "Roma," walked in a one-shoulder, mint green gown with an embellished overlay. She wore her long dark hair down in a middle part as she posed on the carpet in her princess look.
Laura Harrier, who played the love interest in "BlacKkKlansman," wore a stunner of a green and red jeweled choker with her sexy ice blue body hugger that sparkled on the carpet and included a high slit. It was bespoke Louis Vuitton done in organic crepe silk with glass bead and Swarovski crystal shard detailing.
Attending his first Oscar ceremony, "If Beale Street Could Talk" star Stephan James went for three pieces in red velvet, including a vest. He went for white for the feet.
Melissa McCarthy worked her white cape like a boss as she posed in a pant look, black from the waist down and plunging white and long-sleeved on top. It was a custom look by Brandon Maxwell. The wide-leg pants were crepe.
Linda Cardellini earned the That's a Lot of Fabric Award in a red high-low look that was ruffled from shoulders to train.
In addition to a healthy dose of red looks (hello Jennifer Hudson), there was a contingent in pink, of a variety of shades. Kacey Musgraves, Helen Mirren (a reddish pink), Angela Bassett and Gemma Chan wore various shades, Mirren playfully flaring her pleated gown in a statement diamond necklace.
Musgraves was tiered in a paler shade, including a busy riot of ruffles at the neck and shoulders. She had a blingy bauble attached to the waist.
KiKi Layne's pink look had an interesting sculptural touch at the back originating from a large shoulder bow.
Necklaces that hung at the neck were aplenty, including one on Allison Janney featuring more than 59 carats of heart-shaped rubies and more than 67 carats of diamonds set in white gold from Chopard. Charlize Theron, sporting a new dark bob, went for one of Bulgari's snake-like designs around her neck.
Rachel Weisz, in a red latex jacket detail over her sequined gown, chose to display her diamonds in a headband.
4.50am
Lady Gaga has made a late entrance on the Oscars red carpet, not long after "A Star is Born" co-star Bradley Cooper arrived with his mother and girlfriend.
Gaga tells The Associated Press she is feeling nervous, but says Tony Bennett told her that if she's nervous it means she cares.
The singer-actress says she's excited to perform the original song nominee "Shallow" with Cooper on the show.
Gaga is nominated for best actress and has been an awards season darling, although Glenn Close is the favorite to win the category.
4.45am
The cast of Black Panther is here!
4.15am
How amazing does Helen Mirren look?
4am
More and more stars arrive to walk the red carpet before th event.
3.45am
How gorgeous is this pink number?
Spike Lee was awash in purple as he paid tribute to funk icon Prince on the Oscars red carpet Sunday afternoon. The veteran filmmaker wore a purple Ozwald Boateng suit and coordinating hat and eyeglasses, as well as a chain bearing the late musician's the Artist emblem designed by Amedeo Scognamiglio. Lee is up for three Academy Awards _ directing, producing and writing _ for his 1970s-set "BlacKkKlansman" starring John David Washington and Adam Driver. He seemed optimistic going into the show, despite his dubious history with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the Oscars. "I Know In My Hearts Of [hearts] My Brother Prince Is Watching Tonight,Singin' "IT'S GONNA BE A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT'" Lee wrote on Instagram.
3.30am
Many of the stars are arriving early to the event.
3.15am
The stars have begun to walk the red carpet.
3am
Many questions will be answered tonight: Will "A Star is Born" or "Bohemian Rhapsody" win best picture, or could voters throw a curveball and award "Black Panther"? Just how many jokes will people make about the fact that no one wanted to host?
The 91st Academy Awards are taking place today, Monday morning at 5am UAE time.
Before we get started, here is a recap of the eight contenders for the best picture Oscar
From a superhero blockbuster to an offbeat royal comedy of manners to an intimate black-and-white ode to 1970s Mexico City, the contenders for this year's best picture Oscar are as varied as ever.
Here is a brief summary of the eight films vying for the most prestigious prize at Sunday's Oscars ceremony:
Black Panther
Director Ryan Coogler took Hollywood by storm with his take on Marvel's "Black Panther," a visually stunning film about a mythical, hidden, technologically advanced African kingdom called Wakanda.
The title character is also known as T'Challa, the heir to Wakanda's throne who takes over as king when his father is assassinated.
But he is challenged by Killmonger, a US black ops soldier with nefarious intentions who also happens to be T'Challa's cousin.
The film earned an impressive seven nominations overall, and made history by becoming the first comic book film to win a best picture nomination. It won top honors at the Screen Actors Guild awards for best ensemble cast.
BlacKkKlansman
Is this Spike Lee's year?
The veteran director turned out a blistering drama based on the real-life tale of a black cop in Colorado who decides to try to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan with the help of his white partner.
The film - which earned six nominations - stars John David Washington (son of two-time Oscar winner Denzel) as Ron Stallworth and Oscar nominee Adam Driver as his partner Flip Zimmerman.
"BlacKkKlansman" unfolds in the 1970s, but the film ends with images of rallies in Charlottesville two years ago, becoming a searing indictment of divisions in today's America.
Lee has notoriously been denied on Oscars night, including a snub 30 years ago for his seminal work "Do The Right Thing." While he has an honorary Oscar, he has never won a competitive Academy Award.
Bohemian Rhapsody
The biopic about legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury earned lackluster reviews when it opened, but its surprise inclusion - and wins - at the Golden Globes in January propelled it into Oscars contention.
Rami Malek is a top contender for best actor for his portrayal of Mercury, and critics have especially hailed his strutting, pitch perfect recreation of the band's iconic Live Aid performance in 1985.
The film, which earned a total of five nominations, did not escape scandal - it was directed by Bryan Singer, who is facing a raft of sexual misconduct allegations, some of them involving teenage boys. Singer was fired shortly before "Bohemian Rhapsody" wrapped, and has not been involved or even mentioned during the film's awards season campaigns. But his name remains in the movie's credits.
The Favourite
A film with a decidedly female perspective has not won best picture since "Million Dollar Baby" in 2005 and "The Favourite" would be a welcome way to break that streak.
Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos hired a trio of powerhouse actresses - Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone - to bring to life his feminist reimagining of the life and reign of Britain's Queen Anne.
Colman plays the ailing, paranoid monarch, while Weisz plays her best friend, advisor and (in the film) lover Lady Sarah, and Stone appears as Abigail, Sarah's distant cousin looking to move up at court.
What ensues is a dark, farcical yet affecting look at a queen in turmoil, who falls victim to her scheming female companions. It earned 10 nominations, tying with "Roma," and all three women got Oscar nods.
Green Book
Can a classical black pianist and a rough-and-ready Italian-American bouncer-turned-driver become friends in the 1960s as they travel through the segregated Deep South? "Green Book" says yes.
The civil rights dramedy, based on the real-life experiences of musician Don Shirley and Tony "Lip" Vallelonga, is running behind "Roma" in most Oscar predictions for best picture honors.
The movie - which explores race relations and questions about identity - soars thanks to its lead actors Viggo Mortensen (Vallelonga) and Mahershala Ali (Shirley), who are both Oscar nominees.
It endured its fair share of criticism and controversy, including over whether it is the latest in a stream of "white savior" movies, but the stars and the film's team have vigorously defended it.
Roma
Alfonso Cuaron's love letter to his childhood - and the two women who guided him, his mother and his nanny - has been the overwhelming favorite to win the top prize on Sunday.
If it does win, it will be the first foreign-language film to do so, and the first best picture winner for streaming giant Netflix.
"Roma" tells the story of an indigenous woman named Cleo - played by first-time actress Yalitza Aparicio - who works as a housekeeper and nanny for a middle-class family in Mexico City during the 1970s.
The movie, shot in a mixture of Spanish and the indigenous Mixtec language, is a personal triumph for Cuaron, already an Oscar winner for best director in 2014 for space epic "Gravity."
A Star Is Born
At the start of Hollywood's awards season, "A Star Is Born" looked like the natural leading contender.
The retelling of a classic Tinseltown tale - an addicted singer on the wane, a young ingenue on the rise and their doomed love affair in the balance - had Oscars gold written all over it.
It had mega-star power in actor-director Bradley Cooper and co-star Lady Gaga. It enjoyed massive success at the box office. Critics loved it. So what happened?
Despite earning eight nominations, Oscarologists see the film as a lock for best original song ("Shallow") but not for much else.
Vice
Adam McKay brought his offbeat sense of satire to the life of former US vice president Dick Cheney for "Vice," charting the rise of George W. Bush's veep from Montana to the West Wing.
Christian Bale earned widespread praise for disappearing under extra pounds and a mountain of make-up into the role - and earned a Golden Globe and a Critics' Choice Award for his efforts.
Bale, along with co-stars Amy Adams (Cheney's wife Lynne) and Sam Rockwell (Bush), received Oscar nominations, but the film's mixed reviews stalled its awards campaign for the bigger prizes.
Input from Wires