When it comes to A-list glitz and glamour, it’s hard to top the pomp and ceremony of the Academy Awards. The ultimate celebration of achievement within the entertainment industry, the Oscars sees the great and the good of Hollywood making lists of who to thank and practicing their most convincing graceful loser faces way ahead of time. Parading the red carpet in designer apparel and battling it out for the coveted golden baldie statue is just part of the fun, however – there are also a number of outrageous after-parties, hosted by the biggest names in the business.
Of course, the easiest way to attending the ceremony is knock up a Best Picture nominee during your weekends, but who has time for that? Thankfully, there is a Plan B. Anybody can register online to become an extra for the Oscars, and gain access to the hallowed event.
The Oscars are beamed onto television sets worldwide, and even superstars need the odd bathroom break. This means that the organisers will be looking to fill empty seats for when the camera pans around the tables. That’s right, you could be sipping champagne with Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise and Cate Blanchett – just don’t speak to them unless spoken to, and keep your camera phone firmly in your pocket.
The 89th Annual Academy Awards will take place in Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre – the ceremonies permanent home since 2002 – on February 26th. Compering the event is one of the most illustrious gigs available to any stateside celeb, with previous hosts including Ellen DeGeneres, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and Chris Rock. 2017 sees phenomenally popular talk show shot Jimmy Kimmel doling out the famous golden envelopes that reveal the winners for the first time.
The nominations for the 2017 awards will be announced on January 24th, but a number of titles are widely expected to feature prominently. Bookmakers have romantic musical La La Land, an ode to the industry itself that has met with universal acclaim from both audiences and critics, as hot favourite to walk away with a number of statuettes, while thoughtful science fiction epic Arrival and drama Manchester by the Sea are also being heavily tipped. Familiar faces such as Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Amy Adams and Natalie Portman are predicted to dominate the acting categories. If big-budget blockbusters are more to your taste, direct your attention to the technical awards such as best visual effects; there you will find surely titles such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and The Jungle Book battling it out for the gong.
Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep are the most successful living performers in Oscar history, with Nicholson picking up two Best Actor and one Best Supporting Actor statuettes from a total of twelve nominations, and Streep being the proud owner of two Best Actress and one Best Supporting Actress titles from a mind-boggling eighteen nominations. Daniel Day-Lewis is the only male performer to win three Oscars all for leading roles, but the gold standard was set by the much-missed Katharine Hepburn, who won Best Actress four times from twelve nominations.
Whoever takes home the trophies, the 89th Annual Academy Awards promises to be an event not to be missed. Why not look into booking your seat now?
