It’s that time of the year again. The 94th Academy Awards ceremony will take place in a few short weeks, and as much attention will be paid to those who are handing out the accolades as to the recipients. Once again, the organizers have decided to go with multiple presenters, and even the hosting duties are being shared this year, by Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall. Let’s take a look at who else will be in front of the cameras at the Dolby Theatre on March 27.
Lady Gaga bears no grudge
Some say that the announcement of presenters is a little like an awards ceremony itself. You’ll often see names that have been passed over for nominations, as if asking them to hand an award to someone else in some way makes up for it. Lady Gaga is a case in point, and her fans were furious when she not nominated for Best Actress following her impressive performance in House of Gucci. Don’t be surprised if she gets an even bigger round of applause that the actual nominees.
Kevin Costner’s seen it all before
Having just turned 67, Costner is one of Hollywood’s elder statesmen these days. He’s received two Academy Awards himself in his 48-year career, both for the most famous movie on his resume, Dances with Wolves, for which he received the gongs for Best Picture and Best Director. Chances are high that he will be presenting one or other of these high profile awards this year. The Power of the Dog is an odd-on favourite in the Oscars betting for both awards, so there’s every chance that Costner will see the movie’s director, Jane Campion, repeat his own achievement, some 31 years later.
Chris Rock back for more
Chris Rock is something of an Academy Awards stalwart. He hosted the ceremony back in 2004, a move that was seen as a somewhat controversial attempt to engage with younger viewers at the time. He certainly brought an edge to proceedings, choosing Jude Law, who received numerous nominations that year, as the butt of his jokes. When he implied that the British actor was a poor man’s Tom Cruise, he faced some scathing remarks in the actor’s defense from an incensed Sean Penn. Rock was invited back in the same role in 2015 and was applauded for dropping the jokes and making some serious observations about the lack of diversity at that year’s awards.
And many more
Other presenters announced so far include The Batman star Zoë Kravitz plus Rosie Perez, who was herself nominated for her role in Fearless. Then there’s Yuh-Jung Youn, who won last year’s Best Supporting Actress award for her scene-stealing performance in Minari. The 74-year-old was the first Korean ever to be even nominated for an Academy Award.
The organizers love to drip-feed information, and the identities of more presenters will be revealed in the weeks between now and the event itself.
Won’t be watching, I like Costner on Yellowstone, but the rest of them I’ll pass on anything they are in.