As protests swirl, Oscars have feel of high-stakes showdown

You already know where to watch this year’s Oscar nominees (if you haven’t caught up on all of them already) – but what about the awards ceremony itself? The 88th annual Academy Awards, which will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood this Sunday, Feb. 28, will air live on ABC.

But controversy over the “whitewashing” of nominations – there are no ethnic minority nominees in the main acting categories for the second year running – threatens to steal the limelight.

More than a dozen women nominated for Academy Awards this year attended the private event at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails in West Hollywood, California, where Patricia Arquette and Jennifer Lawrence renewed their call for wage equality for women.

The ceremony at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre will begin at 5.30pm on Sunday (9.30am on Monday in Malaysia).

The Oscar for Best Actor is Leonardo DiCaprio’s to lose, but DiCaprio’s trek through the wilderness is second again to “The Martian” when it comes to the box office.

The biggest indicators of the three-movie race were the major guild ceremonies, where “Revenant” won the Directors Guild of America award, “Spotlight” won the Best Cast award from the Screen Actors Guild and “The Big Short” took the top prize from the Producers Guild Award. Best supporting actress favourite Alicia Vikander faces tough competition from star Rooney Mara, and from Kate Winslet.

Spotlight, about child abuse in the Catholic Church, and Wall Street satire The Big Short look like safe bets for the original and adapted screenplay honours after being recognised by the Writers Guild.

The Oscar pundits say this is Leo’s year, that at last he will get his first Oscar (after being nominated five times before with no trophy) for his role as the gritty, survive-at-all-costs trapper in The Revenant, which is nominated for a total of 12 Academy Awards.

Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren even told the UK’s Channel 4 News, “I think it’s unfair to attack the Academy“. It’s the frontrunner for Best Picture, as is director Alejandro Iñarritu.

“As many people are saying, this is an unusual year when surprises will happen“, she added.

Redmayne took home the Oscar a year ago for “The Theory of Everything“.

To become a member of the academy, you must be invited by the board of governors.

Security around Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue is especially heightened because of the protests and the arrival of Vice President Joe Bide, who will give a special presentation with Lady Gaga aimed at combating sexual violence.