news

Oscars 2024: ‘Oppenheimer' wins best picture, six other awards including best director, best actor

(L-R) Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, winners of the Best Picture award for “Oppenheimer”, pose in the press room during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Ovation Hollywood on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
John Shearer | Wireimage | Getty Images

This has been CNBC's live blog covering the 96th annual Academy Awards.

Universal's "Oppenheimer" took home seven Academy Awards on Sunday, including best picture.

The Christopher Nolan-directed biopic about the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, earned best actor, best supporting actor, best film editing, best cinematography, best score and best director.

Disney and Searchlight's "Poor Things" won four awards during the ceremony, including best actress, best makeup and hairstyling, best production design and best costume design.

Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 96th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, moving the night along with biting comedic beats often aimed at past Oscars mishaps, including the accidental announcement of "La La Land" as best picture.

There was also a jab at the 50th anniversary of an Oscar streaker in the form of a nearly naked John Cena announcing the best costume award.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph won the first Oscar of the night, picking up the best supporting actress award for her performance as a boarding school cafeteria manager mourning the death of her son in the Vietnam War in Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers."

Best supporting actor went to Robert Downey Jr. for his role as Lewis Strauss in "Oppeneheimer." His co-star Cillian Murphy won best actor.

Best actress went to Emma Stone, her second win in the category. She won for her role in "Poor Things."

"Barbie" director Greta Gerwig may have been snubbed from the directing category, but the film still snagged a win for best original song with "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.

Here is the full list of winners:

Best Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"

Best Animated Short: "War Is Over!"

Best Animated Feature: "The Boy and the Heron"

Best Original Screenplay: "Anatomy of a Fall"

Best Adapted Screenplay: "American Fiction"

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: "Poor Things"

Best Production Design: "Poor Things"

Best Costume Design: "Poor Things"

Best International Feature: ""The Zone of Interest"

Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer"

Best Visual Effects: "Godzilla Minus One"

Best Film Editing: "Oppenheimer"

Best: Documentary (Short Subject): "The Last Repair Shop"

Best Documentary Feature: "20 Days in Mariupol"

Best Cinematography: "Oppenheimer"

Best Short Film (Live Action): "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar"

Best Sound: "The Zone of Interest"

Best Score: "Oppenheimer"

Best Song: "What Was I Made For?" from "Barbie"

Best Actor: Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer"

Best Director: Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"

Best Actress: Emma Stone, "Poor Things"

Best Picture: "Oppenheimer"

Read more:

Best Picture

Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
(L-R) Jack Quaid, Florence Pugh, Ellen Mirojnick, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Ludwig Göransson, Charles Roven, Robert Downey Jr., Luisa Abel, Emma Thomas, Hoyte van Hoytema, Ruth De Jong, Christopher Nolan, Josh Hartnett, Ashley Everett and Claire Kaufman accept the Best Picture award for "Oppenheimer" onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

And the winner is... "Oppenheimer"

Also nominated:

"American Fiction"
"Anatomy of a Fall"
"Barbie"
"The Holdovers"
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
"Maestro"
"Past Lives"
"Poor Things"
"The Zone of Interest"

'Isn't it past your jail time?' Jimmy Kimmel flips script on Trump social media blast

Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.
Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

Donald Trump took a social media shot at Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel — but Kimmel made sure to get the last laugh.

Trump blasted Kimmel's performance as host and the "really bad politically correct" Oscars broadcast in a scathing Truth Social post during the show.

"Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars," wrote Trump, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

"His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be."

"Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC 'talent,' Georgia Slopanopoulos," Trump sniped.

Kimmel, before the announcement for best picture, read out Trump's post to the audience at the show.

"I just got a review, and I wanted to share it with you," Kimmel said before reading a large portion of the post, and ending with the ad lib "blah blah blah."

"See if you can guess which former president just posted that on Truth Social," Kimmel asked to laughs from the audience. "Anyone?"

"Thank you, President Trump, thank you for watching. Isn't it past your jail time? Kimmel cracked. "He's focused on the important stuff for sure."

- Dan Mangan

Best Actress

Mike Blake | Reuters
Emma Stone wins the Oscar for Best Actress for "Poor Things" during the Oscars show at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024. 

And the winner is... Emma Stone, "Poor Things"

Also nominated:
Annette Bening, "Nyad"
Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
Sandra Hüller, "Anatomy of a Fall"
Carey Mulligan, "Maestro"

Best Director

Mike Blake | Reuters
Christopher Nolan accepts the Oscar for Best Director for "Oppenheimer" from presenter Steven Spielberg during the Oscars show at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

And the winner is... Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"

Also nominated:

Justine Triet, "Anatomy of a Fall"
Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
Yorgos Lanthimos, "Poor Things"
Jonathan Glazer, "The Zone of Interest"

Best Actor

Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Cillian Murphy accepts the Best Actor award for "Oppenheimer" onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

And the winner is... Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer"

Also nominated:
Bradley Cooper, "Maestro"
Colman Domingo, "Rustin"
Paul Giamatti, "The Holdovers"
Jeffrey Wright, "American Fiction"

Best Original Song

And the winner is... "What Was I Made For?" from "Barbie"

Also nominated:
"The Fire Inside" from "Flamin' Hot"
"I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie"
"Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" from "Killers of the Flower Moon"
"It Never Went Away" from "American Symphony"

Best Original Score

And the winner is... "Oppenheimer"

Also nominated:
"American Fiction"
"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
"Poor Things"

Best Sound

And the winner is... "The Zone of Interest"

Also nominated:
"The Creator"
"Maestro"
"Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One"
"Oppenheimer"

Best Live Action Short Film

And the winner is... "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar"

Also nominated:
"The After"
"Invincible"
"Night of Fortune"
"Red, White and Blue"

Best Cinematography

Mike Blake | Reuters
Hoyte van Hoytema wins the Oscar for Best Cinematography for "Oppenheimer" during the Oscars show at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

And the winner is... "Oppenheimer"

Also nominated:
"El Conde"
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
"Maestro"
"Poor Things"

Best Documentary Feature

And the winner is... "20 Days in Mariupol"

Also nominated:
"Bobi Wine: The People's President"
"The Eternal Memory"
"Four Daughters"
"To Kill a Tiger"

Best Documentary Short

Carlos Barria | Reuters
Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers pose with the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film for "The Last Repair Shop" in the Oscars photo room at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

And the winner is... "The Last Repair Shop"

Also nominated:
"The ABCs of Book Banning"
"The Barber of Little Rock"
"Island in Between"
"Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó"

'Barbenheimer' rivalry heats up at the Oscars

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt present during the Oscars show at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt present during the Oscars show at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

Emily Blunt, nominated for her supporting role in "Oppenheimer," and Ryan Gosling, nominated for his part as Ken in "Barbie," took to the stage on Sunday to celebrate the unsung heroes of the stunt community.

But before they played a sizzle reel, the actors teased each other about the popularity of "Barbenheimer."

"And the way this awards season's turned out it wasn't much of a rivalry," Blunt goaded, alluding to how many awards "Oppenheimer" has snared from other Hollywood award shows this season.

"I think I figured out why they call it 'Barbenheimer' and they didn't call it 'Oppenbarbie,'" Gosling retorted. "I think you guys are at the tail end of that because you guys were riding 'Barbie's' coattails all summer."

"Barbie" generated nearly $1.5 billion at the global box office during 2023.

Blunt called Gosling out for "Kensplaining" before claiming he painted on his abs for the role of Ken. The two bickered briefly before thanking the stunt community for their hard work.

— Sarah Whitten

Best Film Editing

And the winner is... "Oppenheimer"

Also nominated:
"Anatomy of a Fall"
"The Holdovers"
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
"Poor Things"

Best Visual Effects

Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
(L-R) Masaki Takahashi, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya and Tatsuji Nojima accept the Best Visual Effects award for "Godzilla Minus One" onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

And the winner is... "Godzilla Minus One"

Also nominated:
"The Creator"
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"
"Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One"
"Napoleon"

Some nominees are wearing 'Artists 4 Ceasefire' pins on red carpet

Ramy Youssef poses on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.
Aude Guerrucci | Reuters
Ramy Youssef poses on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

Red pins in support of a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza have shown up at previous award ceremonies this season and now are appearing on the Oscars red carpet. The pins are from a group called #Artists4Ceasefire, which also wrote an open letter asking President Joe Biden to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

"What Was I Made For?" singer Billie Eilish, "Origin" director Ava DuVernay, "Poor Things" actor Ramy Youssef and more stars wore the pins on the red carpet.

Kaouther Ben Hania, the director of the nominated documentary "Four Daughters," and Misan Harriman, the director of the nominated live action short film "The After," were also seen wearing the pins.

"A lot of people are going to be wearing these pins tonight," Ramy Youssef told Variety. "We want to use where we're at to speak to people's hearts."

— Kat Tenbarge, NBC News

Best Supporting Actor

Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Robert Downey Jr. accepts the Best Supporting Actor award for "Oppenheimer" onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

And the winner is... Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer"

Also nominated:
Sterling K. Brown, "American Fiction"
Robert De Niro, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
Ryan Gosling, "Barbie"
Mark Ruffalo, "Poor Things"

Costumes 'are so important,' says nearly naked John Cena

TV host Jimmy Kimmel (L) looks on as US actor John Cena (R) presents the award for Best Costume Design onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 10, 2024.=
Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty Images
TV host Jimmy Kimmel (L) looks on as US actor John Cena (R) presents the award for Best Costume Design onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 10, 2024.=

Fifty years ago, the Academy Awards ceremony was interrupted by a streaker. To honor that moment, host Jimmy Kimmel asked the crowd how people might react to that happening today.

That's when wrestler and actor John Cena poked his head out from the wings.

"I changed my mind," he called out to Kimmel. "I don't want to do the streaker bit."

Cena then walked toward the microphone with a giant envelope covering his private parts to present the night's award for best costume design.

"Costumes," a nearly fully naked Cena said, "they are so important."

While a video montage of the nominees played, Cena was draped in a curtain by Kimmel.

— Sarah Whitten

Best International Feature

And the winner is... "The Zone of Interest"

Also nominated:
"Io Capitano"
"Perfect Days"
"Society of the Snow"
"The Teachers' Lounge"

Hollywood needs to take more risk on small films, Jefferson says

Mike Blake | Reuters
Cord Jefferson wins the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for "American Fiction" during the Oscars show at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

Director Cord Jefferson called on Hollywood to spend more money on small films.

"I understand that this is a risk averse industry, I get it, but $200 million movies are also a risk and it doesn't always work out but you take the risk anyway," Jefferson said during his Academy Awards speech for best adapted screenplay. "And instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies."

Jefferson's "American Fiction" had a budget of $10 million.

He also implored Hollywood to take more chances on up-and-coming talent, saying the next Greta Gerwig or Martin Scorsese could be out there to be found

— Sarah Whitten

Best Costume Design

And the winner is... "Poor Things"

Also nominated:
"Barbie"
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
"Napoleon"
"Oppenheimer"

Best Production Design

And the winner is... "Poor Things"

Also nominated:
"Barbie"
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
"Napoleon"
"Oppenheimer"

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

And the winner is... "Poor Things"

Also nominated:
"Golda"
"Maestro"
"Oppenheimer"
"Society of the Snow"

Best Adapted Screenplay

And the winner is... "American Fiction"

Also nominated:
"Barbie"
"Oppenheimer"
"Poor Things"
"The Zone of Interest"

Best Original Screenplay

Carlos Barria | Reuters
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari pose with the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for "Anatomy of a Fall" in the Oscars photo room at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

And the winner is... "Anatomy of a Fall"

Also nominated:
"The Holdovers"
"Maestro"
"May December"
"Past Lives"

Best Animated Feature

And the winner is... "The Boy and the Heron"

Also nominated:
"Elemental"
"Nimona"
"Robot Dreams"
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"

Best Animated Short Film

And the winner is... "War Is Over!"

Also nominated:
"Letter to a Pig"
"Ninety-Five Senses"
"Our Uniform"
"Pachyderme"

Best Supporting Actress

(L-R) Mary Steenburgen, Lupita Nyong'o, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rita Moreno and Regina King speak onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.
Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
(L-R) Mary Steenburgen, Lupita Nyong'o, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rita Moreno and Regina King speak onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

And the winner is... Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"

Also nominated:
Emily Blunt, "Oppenheimer"
Danielle Brooks, "The Color Purple"
America Ferrera, "Barbie"
Jodie Foster, "Nyad"

Kimmel jokes about AI, Greta Gerwig snub, throws support behind teamsters

Show host Jimmy Kimmel delivers his opening monologue at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Show host Jimmy Kimmel delivers his opening monologue at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

Jimmy Kimmel opened his Oscars monologue taking a dig at artificial intelligence. He addressed the crowd saying, "Look at these beautiful human actors."

Technology in the space continues to be a source of panic for Hollywood scribes and actors. So much so, that guidelines were put in place after two dual labor strikes in 2023. 

Kimmel then poked fun at the typically long-running Academy Awards show, noting that Sunday's show was already running 5 minutes late.

He then turned his attention to the biggest films nominated for the 96th annual event. He called out "Barbie" for being the biggest movie of the year and noted that Greta Gerwig was not nominated for best director.

"I know you're clapping, but you're the ones who didn't vote for her," Kimmel chided the audience.

Kimmel poked fun at "Oppenheimer," "Killers of the Flower Moon" and other films that had long run times, telling guests in attendance that Hollywood films have gotten too long.

He also championed film crew members who are currently working on new contracts and told them, "we will stand with you too"

"Before we celebrate ourselves, let's have a very well-deserved round of applause for people behind the scenes," Kimmel said, bringing the Oscars crew onto the stage.

They received a standing ovation.

— Sarah Whitten

A tight best actress race and a chance to make history

Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone.
Getty Images
Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone.

The best actress category is a tight race between Lily Gladstone ("Killers of the Flower Moon") and Emma Stone ("Poor Things").

The actresses have traded wins throughout this year's award season. Gladstone picked up wins at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama. Stone won the BAFTA and Critics Choice trophies, as well as the Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy.

Stone previously won the best actress award at the Oscars in 2017 for her role in "La La Land." Winning on Sunday would make her the 15th woman to own at least two best actress trophies.

However, if Gladstone wins, she will be the first Native American person to ever win a competitive acting Oscar in the ceremony's 96-year history.

Sarah Whitten

'Barbie' director Greta Gerwig snubbed

Greta Gerwig poses on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.
Aude Guerrucci | Reuters
Greta Gerwig poses on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

Heading into Sunday's Oscars ceremony, some pundits are still questioning why "Barbie" co-writer and director Greta Gerwig isn't among those nominated for best director.

Gerwig's pink-fueled comedy, which skewered the patriarchy and explored what it means to be a woman — human or doll — in the modern world, generated nearly $1.5 billion at the global box office. It was the highest-grossing film ever directed by a woman.

Gerwig earned a nomination in the directors category for her solo directorial debut, "Lady Bird," but missed out on the category for her next film, "Little Women." All three of her films were nominated for best picture.

Host Jimmy Kimmel joked about the snub in his marketing materials for Sunday's ceremony. In the video, he's lost in Barbieland and needs the help of Kate McKinnon's Weird Barbie as well as America Ferrera, who plays Gloria, and Ryan Gosling, the iconic Ken.

Gosling, who was nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Ken in the film, criticized the Academy's vote in a public post immediately following the nominations.

"No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius," he said in a statement of both Gerwig and Barbie herself, Margot Robbie. "To say that I'm disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement."

The snub is also paired with a head-scratching decision by the Academy Awards to place the "Barbie" script in the adapted screenplay category rather than the original screenplay category. The film campaigned to be placed in the original screenplay category.

While the script is wholly original, it is likely that the Academy decided to push the film over to adapted screenplay because it's based on preexisting characters.

— Sarah Whitten

Two 'Barbie' tunes up for best original song

Billie Eilish, America Ferrera and Finneas O'Connell pose on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.
Aude Guerrucci | Reuters
Billie Eilish, America Ferrera and Finneas O'Connell pose on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 10, 2024.

Two songs from Warner Bros.' "Barbie" are nominated for Sunday's Oscars.

The Academy's music branch selected "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell and "I'm Just Ken" by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt to compete for the best original song trophy.

This is not the first time multiple songs from a film have been nominated. The first film to receive multiple song nominations was 1980's "Fame" and only four have received three nominated songs — "Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King," "Dreamgirls" and "Enchanted."

However, after both "Dreamgirls" and "Enchanted" failed to win any golden statues, the Academy revised nomination rules so that no film could have more than two nominated songs.

Previously, up to five songs from a single film could be submitted for consideration, though the rules changed in 2023 to allow only three to be submitted. Even still, most studios usually only submit one, fearing that having more nominations will lead to split votes.

This was the case when Disney nominated "Dos Oruguitas" from "Encanto" for Academy Award contention instead of "We Don't Talk About Bruno." The nomination was submitted before "Bruno" rose to popularity.

This year, the two "Barbie" tunes are considered the frontrunners, with "What Was I Made For?" expected to take the prize. Siblings Eilish and O'Connell won the award in 2021 for "No Time to Die" from the James Bond movie of the same name.

Meanwhile, Ronson and Wyatt were two of the four 2018 winners for the song "Shallow" from "A Star is Born."

Here are all the nominees for best original song:

  • "I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie"
  • "What Was I Made For" from "Barbie"
  • "The Fire Inside" from "Flamin' Hot"
  • "It Never Went Away" from "American Symphony"
  • "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" from "Killers of the Flower Moon"

— Sarah Whitten

The greatest maestro of all time

Shannon Finney | Getty Images
Composer John Williams conducts the concert celebrating the 225th anniversary of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on July 16, 2023 in Washington, DC. 

Legendary composer John Williams has broken his own record for most Oscar nominations earned by a living person.

The maestro earned his 54th nomination this year, this time for his work on "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." Williams is just behind the late Walt Disney, who had 59 Oscar nominations, for the most Academy Award nominations of all time.

Williams received his first Oscar nomination for 1967′s "Valley of the Dolls" and his first win for 1971′s "Fiddler On the Roof."

Throughout his career, Williams has created some of the most iconic scores in cinematic history. He is responsible for the panic-inducing "Jaws" theme, the haunting soundtrack to "Schindler's List" and the heroic "Superman" theme.

He's also the mastermind behind the music of such blockbusters as "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones," "Harry Potter" and "ET: The Extra-Terrestrial."

In addition to "Fiddler," for which Williams won for adapted score, he has received the golden trophy for "Jaws," "Star Wars," "ET: The Extra-Terrestrial" and "Schindler's List."

If he wins, he will become the oldest Oscar winner in history at age 92.

— Sarah Whitten

Best-picture Oscar nominees 'Barbenheimer' account for 88% of the slate's box-office haul

It was no surprise that Warner Bros.′ "Barbie" and Universal's "Oppenheimer" were among the 10 best-picture nominees announced for this year's Academy Awards ceremony. The duo exploded into cinemas in July, generating big box-office bucks and enchanting critics and audiences alike.

Helmed by Academy darlings Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan, respectively, the dichotomous films were on Oscar prediction lists for months. Although Gerwig missed out on a best director nomination, both filmmakers received nods for their screenplays.

The tag team of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" also represented 88% of the cumulative box-office haul generated by best picture nominees prior to their nomination, according to data from Comscore.

The 10 best-picture films together tallied $1.09 billion at the domestic box office before the Oscar nominees were announced. That's the fifth-highest haul for the slate of nominees since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences began nominating 10 titles for the top award in 2009.

"Barbenheimer" accounted for $963.1 million of this year's figure.

Sarah Whitten

Jimmy Kimmel back to host

TV host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 12, 2023.
Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty Images
TV host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 12, 2023.

Jimmy Kimmel is set to host the Academy Awards for the second consecutive year. This marks his fourth time helming the gig — he also emceed in 2017, 2018 and 2023.

The late-night talk show host was tapped for the job again after attracting nearly 19 million viewers last year, the most since 2020's pre-pandemic Oscars ceremony.

The show went hostless in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes split hosting duties in 2022, the year Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.

Kimmel has had his fair share of iconic Oscars moments, too. In 2017, the musical "La La Land" was mistakenly announced as the year's best picture. "Moonlight" had actually won the award.

— Sarah Whitten

An early start for the Oscars

Artist Antje Menikhem touches up backgrounds for the red carpet arrivals on March 7, 2024 in Hollywood, California, with preparations underway for the 96th Academy Awards. 
Valerie Macon | AFP | Getty Images
Artist Antje Menikhem touches up backgrounds for the red carpet arrivals on March 7, 2024 in Hollywood, California, with preparations underway for the 96th Academy Awards. 

Fans of the Oscars know the ceremony typically takes place at 8 p.m. ET, but this year it's starting an hour earlier.

Sunday also marks the first full day of Daylight Saving Time, and clocks moved forward at 2 a.m.

The earlier start could keep viewers tuned in longer and boost ratings. In the past, networks and ceremony hosts have attempted to keep the show under three hours, but many have still managed to stretch until after 11 p.m. ET. Much of the drop-off in viewership has come from East Coasters turning off their TVs in the third hour.

Many speculate that ABC, which is handling the telecast this year, could also benefit from moving up the start time. This year it's following the Academy Awards with a new episode of the hit show "Abbott Elementary." The ceremony's earlier start time could bring more eyeballs to the show.

Sarah Whitten

How to watch this year's Oscars

For those who still have a cable subscription, the 96th Academy Awards will be aired live on ABC starting at 7 p.m. ET.

The ceremony will also be streamed live on abc.com and the ABC app, as well as through streaming services like Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV.

Sarah Whitten

Copyright CNBC
Contact Us