Oscars red carpet: Hollywood’s biggest names arrive in stunning looks

Ariana Grande, Zoe Saldana, and Selena Gomez graced the red carpet on Hollywood’s biggest night, as the Oscars kicked off on Sunday. With no clear frontrunner among 'Anora,' 'The Brutalist,' 'Conclave,' and other contenders, the race for the prestigious Best Picture Oscar remains wide open.

Timothée Chalamet and Demi Moore were vying for their first Academy Awards. Grande, nominated for Best Supporting Actress, arrived in a sculptural light pink gown with a wide, glittery skirt—an homage to her character, Galinda, in the movie musical 'Wicked.' Meanwhile, 'Emilia Perez' star Saldana, the favorite to win the supporting actress trophy, chose a tiered burgundy strapless gown.

Oscars host Conan O’Brien revealed that he planned to blend humour with tributes to filmmakers and serious moments, including nods to Los Angeles as it recovers from January’s wildfires. While he acknowledged that U.S. politics might be addressed, he said it wouldn't dominate the night.

"Good jokes are really important, but there’s also more than that," O’Brien told reporters last week, as he prepared for his first Oscars hosting gig. "We’re trying to go for different tones, different textures."

This year’s Oscars race has been full of surprises, with no single film dominating the precursor awards. The uncertainty is set to keep the drama alive until the final moments of Sunday’s ceremony.

According to Oscars pundits, three films are leading the Best Picture race. 'Anora' tells the story of a sex worker with a shot at a Cinderella-like transformation. 'The Brutalist' follows a Jewish immigrant and architect chasing the American dream. 'Conclave' imagines the secretive process of selecting a new pope.
Other Best Picture contenders include 'Wicked,' the blockbuster musical prequel to 'The Wizard of Oz,' and 'A Complete Unknown,' a Bob Dylan biopic starring Chalamet.

Netflix’s 'Emilia Perez' enters the night with the most nominations. However, its chances have been overshadowed by controversy after offensive social media posts from star Karla Sofia Gascon surfaced. Gascon, the first openly transgender performer nominated for an acting Oscar, withdrew from the awards circuit but is expected to attend the ceremony.

The winners of the coveted Oscar statuettes are chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a group of roughly 11,000 actors, producers, directors, and film professionals.
Kieran Culkin is the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'A Real Pain,' in which he plays a man travelling with his cousin to Poland to explore their family history.

The Best Actor race is expected to come down to Chalamet and 'The Brutalist' star Adrien Brody. Brody previously became the youngest Best Actor winner at age 29 for 'The Pianist' in 2002. If Chalamet wins, he will beat Brody’s record by nine months.

Demi Moore is widely favoured to win Best Actress for her performance in 'The Substance.' However, some awards experts believe Brazil’s Fernanda Torres ('I'm Still Here') could pull off a surprise victory. With the Academy expanding its international membership in recent years, Torres could benefit from increased support.