When awards season rolls around, they don’t come any bigger than the Oscars, which is the de facto gold standard for Hollywood’s best movies.
We’re all used to spending the next morning arguing about who should have won what, but the really committed will try to watch the Academy Awards live – though if you want to watch the Oscars in the UK you might be in for a late night.
We’ve rounded up everything you need to know on the 2021 event including the hosts, nominees, how to stream the event and more. Whilst you’re waiting, you can also check out our personal picks of the movies of the decade.
When are the 2021 Oscars?
The 2021 Academy Awards are currently scheduled to be held in Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday 28 February 2021, and to be broadcast on TV and around the world.
However, Variety has reported than anonymous sources are considering postponing the ceremony as all the movies delays will limit who can be considered for the awards. Cinemas will only begin to open in late summer at the earliest, so it may be pushed back by quite a bit. No date has yet been confirmed.
Eligibility of the Oscars has changed to accommodate for COVID, with digital releases being considered for awards. However, as many studios are still holding on for a theatrical release, there still wouldn’t be enough titles to fill all the nomination slots.
Which channel are the Oscars on?
If you’re in the US, the Oscars are usually aired on ABC.
In the UK, Sky Cinema will typically air the event on the sub-channel Sky Cinema Oscars, starting with the red carpet coverage and then the entire awards ceremony. There also usually follow this up with a highlights reel on Sky One.
If you’re not already a Sky Cinema customer, you can sign up from Sky’s website. It costs an extra £11 a month for existing Sky TV customers – otherwise you might be better off watching it online through Now TV – more on that next.
How to watch the Oscars online
US viewers who won’t be near a TV have an easy option – head to the ABC website to stream the whole show live, or watch it through the ABC app.
If you’re in the UK and don’t have a Sky account, or would simply rather stream the Oscars ceremony than watch it on TV, all of Sky’s coverage be streamed online through Now TV.
That might sound like bad news if you’re not already a Now TV subscriber, but don’t worry – you can still get a pass for free. Now TV offers a 14-day free trial for its Sky Cinema Pass, which is normally £11.99 a month.
If you’ve already used up your Now TV free trial and don’t want to pay again, you could always try to use a VPN to access the free ABC stream in the US – though be warned that it’s not guaranteed to work. Our current top VPN recommendation is NordVPN, but take a look at our full VPN ranking to find out more.
Who is hosting the 2021 Oscars?
Last year The Oscars did not have a set host, with The Academy relying on the various celebrities that present each award to serve as hosts, rather than have a single figure run proceedings.
This may change for 2021, as The Hollywood Reporter stated that the board is considering bringing back a host after viewing figures went down this year. Whether this will happen – and who this will be – remains to be seen.
Who is nominated for the Oscars?
Nominations for the Oscars have yet to be confirmed – once we have more information we’ll update this article.
Via Techadvisor