Hosting the Oscars is one of the most thankless jobs in show biz. Nevertheless, beloved late-night comedian Conan O’Brien will take the stage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on March 2 for the 2025 Academy Awards.
Between the recent wildfires that have devastated Hollywood and the ongoing controversy over nominee “Emilia Pérez,” this year’s show is shaping up to be an interesting one. Here’s a walk through Oscars history, past and present.
Who votes on the Oscars?
Oscar winners are voted on by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, comprising a range of professionals from the film industry that includes actors, writers, directors, costume designers, makeup artists and producers. New members are invited to join the ranks annually, though ever since #OscarsSoWhite in 2015 — a social justice campaign calling attention to an industry focus on awarding white male talent — the Academy has “moved away from its elitist tendencies and toward embracing younger and more diverse artists and executives from all over the world,” said IndieWire. As of 2024, the total number of voting Academy members reached 9, 934, with 35% identifying as women, 20% from underrepresented ethnic and racial communities and 20% from countries outside the U.S.
What are the records to beat?
More than 3,000 Oscars have been awarded since 1929, and three films are tied for securing the most wins of all time, each receiving 11 statues total: “Ben-Hur” (1959), “Titanic” (1997) and “The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King” (2003). The individual winner of the most awards remains Walt Disney, who took home 26 Oscars (four were honorary awards). The actress with the most accolades is Katharine Hepburn, who won four times, with the last time being for “On Golden Pond” (1981). Daniel Day-Lewis is the “only man with three Oscars for Best Actor,” said CBS News, for “My Left Foot” (1989), “There Will be Blood” (2008) and “Lincoln” (2013).
Viewership for the Oscars has largely declined over the years. “The last time the show drew more than 40 million viewers was 2014,” said USA Today, citing Nielsen ratings. “The show’s record viewership came in 1998 when ‘Titanic’ dominated the awards and drew in over 55 million viewers.” By contrast, the 2024 broadcast brought in only 19.5 million viewers.
What categories have recently been added?
The first new Oscar category added in over 20 years will be “achievement in casting,” set to debut in 2026. As of now, “it’s unclear what will constitute award-winning casting,” said Herb Scribner at The Washington Post. “Would the Academy favor a blockbuster packed with world-class actors such as ‘Oppenheimer’? Or a casting director who discovers Hollywood’s next star, or finds the perfect doppelgänger to play a historical figure?”
Prior to the new casting award, the Academy’s latest category addition was Best Animated Feature, first awarded to “Shrek” in 2001. There has also been pressure to add a stunt category: The Oscars dubbed stunt performers the “unsung heroes” of cinema at last year’s ceremony.
What nominations or wins will be historic this year?
Walter Salles’ true-life family drama “I’m Still Here” is the first fully Brazilian-produced movie to be nominated for Best Picture. If the film’s star, Fernanda Torres, takes home the gold for best actress, she will also be the inaugural Brazilian to do so. She is only the second Brazilian actor to ever be nominated in the category’s history. The first was her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who earned a nod for “Central Station” (1998). The two women “join a historic short list of other Oscar-nominated mother-daughters,” said Elle, including Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli and Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Karla Sofía Gascón, who is the first openly trans actor ever nominated for an Oscar for “Emilia Pérez,” may additionally become the first trans actor to ever win. Despite the recent backlash over Gascón’s unearthed social media posts and the director’s tone-deaf approach to Mexican culture, the Spanish-language musical is up for numerous awards, including Best Picture. This marks the first time since 1969 that two musicals have been up for the award simultaneously, as “Wicked” is also nominated.