The awards season comes to a close this Sunday with the biggest night of the year in film, the Oscars. Here's all you need to know about this year's Academy Awards.
1. The 89th annual Academy Awards take place Sunday, 26th February at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
2. All the red carpet glamour kicks-off from midnight in Ireland, while the actual ceremony gets under way at around 1.30am Irish time.
3. Night owls can watch the show live on Sky Cinema’s Oscars channel – but they can be prepared for a very late night! Everyone else will have to wait for the highlights of the show, which will air on RTE Two at 9:30PM on Monday 27 February.
4. The ceremony will be hosted by US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel. It marks the first time Kimmel has hosted the event and he'll be getting paid around €14,000 for his services.
5. There are Irish nominees in three categories this year. Ruth Negga is up for Best Actress for her powerful performance as Mildred Loving in the film “Loving”. Meanwhile, "The Lobster" – co-produced by Irish production company Element Pictures and filmed on location in Dublin and Kerry – scored a nomination for Best Original Screenplay and Consolata Boyle is nominated for Best Costume Design for her work on "Florence Foster Jenkins."
6. This is the first nomination for Negga, who was born in Ethiopia and grew-up in Dublin. It marks the second time that Boyle has been up for an Oscar. She was first nominated in the same category in 2006 for her work on the costumes of The Queen.
7. Hollywood-based musical "La La Land" leads the pack with 14 nominations, including Best Song, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Director. This means that it ties the previous record for nominations held by James Camerons’ Titanic and the 1950s favourite All about Eve.
8. This year the infamous gift bags – handed out to certain attendees of the event – include artisan chocolates, designer “non-browning” Opal Apples, skin care and make-up products, personal training sessions, diamond jewellery and massage mats. Plus, there's usually at least one trip — the 2017 bag includes a six-day luxury jaunt to Hawaii. The value of the bags has increased over time, reaching a high of $232,000 in 2016.
9. After the show, The Governors Ball is the Oscars’ official after party. It is where the winners go to engrave their statues, congratulate or commiserate their peers and eat some of the finest food around. From Korean steak tartare on puffed rice to lobster corn dogs, the menu fuses the luxury of Hollywood and fine dining with a more casual, party feel.
10. After the party are the after parties, and none is more exclusive than the Vanity Fair Oscar party. Other famous after parties include the Elton John AIDS Foundation viewing party and the parites held by the big name studios.
