Awards season is now in full swing, but the main event has to be the Oscars, possibly the most prestigious celebration of achievement in international cinema. Taking place on Sunday 28th February, the event will see a star-studded cast of actors, directors and beautiful people congregating at the legendary Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, all hoping to walk away with a little gold statuette.
It’s been a fantastic year for film, with titles like Carol, Bridge of Spies, The Danish Girl and The Big Short all earning nods from the Academy. However, this year’s nominations have not been without controversy. The lack of diversity in the leading categories led to the re-emergence of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag, with celebrities such as Will Smith, George Clooney and Lupita Nyong’o all expressing disappointment at the ‘whitewashed’ nominations.
To get you up to speed before the main event, we’ve rounded up everything worth knowing about the ceremony.
Oscars 2016: Location, Date and Time
**Where: **Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, USA
**When: **Sunday 28th February 2016
**What time: **7pm Eastern Time (that's midnight for those of us staying up in the UK)
How To Watch The Oscars 2016
If you (or an obliging friend) are lucky enough to have a Sky subscription, you can watch the red carpet dramas unfold on the dedicated Sky Movies Oscar channel. The stars will start to arrive from around midnight, with the ceremony itself kicking off about an hour and a half later. Yep, you're going to need serious dedication and a lot of caffeine. E! Onlinewill be streaming live from Hollywood from around midnight, and of course you can catch us live-blogging the main event, with updates on the best dressed stars and the ceremony itself.
Oscars 2016: The Nominations
Of course, the main story of this year’s awards season is whether it’ll be a case of ‘fifth time’s a charm’ for Leonardo DiCaprio, who has once again been nominated for his role in The Revenant. He’ll be up against Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon, Michael Fassbender and Eddie Redmayne in the hotly contested Best Actor category. We’ve got our fingers crossed for you, pal! Over in the Best Actress corner, Cate Blanchett, Saoirse Ronan and Charlotte Rampling (who has controversially weighed in on the Oscars diversity debate) are up against Golden Globe winners Brie Larson and Jennifer Lawrence.
You can view a full list of the Oscars 2016 nominations here.
Oscars 2016: The Host
Comedian Chris Rock will be hosting this year's ceremony. It's his second time heading up proceedings, having previously hosted the awards in 2005. Along with actress Jada Pinkett Smith and director Spike Lee, Rock is one of several stars to have recently criticised the lack of diversity at the Oscars, calling it 'the white BET (Black Entertainment Television) awards,' but has confirmed that he will still be presiding over the event.
Oscars 2016: The Presenters
The Academy is yet to announce who will be on presenting duty next month, but typically awards are presented by big names in the film industry and previous Oscar winners. We're crossing our fingers for another J-Law and Amy Schumer double act, as seen at the Golden Globes. Watch this space!
Oscars 2016: Predictions
Best Film: The Big Short
This satirical comedy, based on the US housing crisis and subsequent financial crash, just picked up Best Film at the Producers Guild Awards, which augurs well for Oscars success.
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revanant
The ‘Best Actor’ Oscar has proved notoriously elusive for poor Leo over the years, but we think 2016 is definitely his time to shine. After all, he went full Bear Grylls for the role and ate a raw bison liver. A raw bison’s liver!
Best Actress: Brie Larson, Room
The breakout star of this year's awards season, Brie has already bagged a Golden Globe and looks like a dead cert for Oscars glory.
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone, Creed
According to the bookmakers, Sly is the obvious choice for Best Supporting Actor.
Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander
With a Critics' Choice Award already under her belt, Alicia is primed for success at the Academy Awards - although given the weight of her role in The Danish Girl, we're surprised that she didn't make the cut for Best Actress.