This year marks the 95th Annual Academy Awards, which are often regarded as the highest achievement in acting and film. The awards ceremony has been captivating viewers since 1929, and are nicknamed the Oscars because of former academy librarian Margaret Herrick, who declared that the statuette looked like her Uncle Oscar.
This year boasts several first time nominees, some of whom only recently made a comeback to acting. Among them are Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Barry Keoghan, Austin Butler and others.
The red carpet before the main event often serves as a great opportunity for designers and luxury fashion houses to have their designs seen on a major world stage. Designer Christian Siriano even created looks the day before the Oscars after a pipe burst in his studio and destroyed several items. The red carpet is a runway that serves is a reflection of some fan favorite actors’ personal style and the trends to expect in the high fashion world. Before the show begins, here are some of the standout looks of the night.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. This is her first nomination, and she wore a Dolce and Gabbanna gown for her big night.
Harry Shum Jr.
Harry Shum Jr. appeared in the highly acclaimed Everything Everywhere All At Once. The film has been praised for its representation of the Asian community, and Shum Jr.’s outfit appears to pay homage to his personal Chinese heritage and the film. When asked about his outfit by E! Host Laverne Cox, he called it “an east meets west moment.”
Angela Bassett
As usual, Angela Bassett did the thing. She walked the carpet in a vibrant purple Moschino gown, and is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Austin Butler
Austin Butler opted for a classic tapered suit tonight. The actor is nominated for Best Actor for his role as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrman’s biopic Elvis.
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Mindy Kaling
The multi-hyphenate actress, comedian, screenwriter and producer walked the carpet in a white corset inspired Vera Wang gown. Kaling is set to present at tonight’s ceremony.
Lenny Kravitz
Kravitz appeared on the red carpet in an all-black ensemble infused with his signature rock-n-roll style. The actor and musician will be performing during the In Memoriam portion of the ceremony this evening.
Cara Delevingne
The actress and model wore a bold red ensemble to the show, just days after opening up about her personal journey with sobriety. The actress notably appeared in the Hulu hit show Only Murders in the Building alongside Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin in 2022.
Brendan Fraser
Fraser is nominated for Best Actor tonight for his role in A24’s The Whale. This is Fraser’s first nomination, and his first big-screen role in many years, since he chose to retire from the spotlight following his alleged sexual assault at the hands of former President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Philip Berk. Tonight, the actor arrived to the red carpet alongside his girlfriend Jeanne Moore (who works as a makeup artist for film and television) and sons Leland and Holden.
Florence Pugh
The English actress has become known for her creative red carpet fashion. Pugh will be presenting an award alongside actor Andrew Garfield tonight.
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh graced the carpet in a flowy orange dress. Pixar’s Turning Red is nominated for Best Animated Feature, in which Oh voices an overprotective mother.
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Ke Huy Quan
Ke Huy Quan already took home a win for his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once at the 2023 SAG Awards. Quan was the first Asian actor to win the award for Best Supporting Actor, and he could take home the Oscar for the same role tonight.
Ana de Armas
Ana de Armas channeled the iconic movie star Marilyn Monroe with her look tonight. De Armas played Monroe in the film Blonde, a role for which she is nominated for Best Actress at tonight’s Oscars.
Michelle Yeoh
Yeoh is nominated for Best Actress for her role as Evelyn in Everything Everywhere All At Once. The actress has been outspoken regarding ageism in Hollywood, and a win for her could prove monumental for the Best Actress category.
Kerry Condon
The Irish actress is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in The Banshees of Inisherin, a film that tells the story of friendship amid the Irish Civil War.
Ariana DeBosse
Debosse was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2022, and returns to the stage this year as an awards presenter.
Lady Gaga
Actress and musician Lady Gaga is nominated for Best Original Song this year, for “Hold My Hand” from Topgun: Maverick. It is rumored that Gaga may even have a surprise performance.
Rihanna
Rihanna is nominated for Best Original Song tonight for “Lift Me Up,” which was featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She is set to perform the song tonight.
Laverne Cox
Host and actress Laverne Cox took to the carpet to ask the questions that audiences wanted answers to.
With audiences’ favorite stars dressed to the nines, host Jimmy Kimmel is kicking off the show with a bang. The Oscars air tonight at 8 p.m. EST and 5 p.m. PT.