The 91st Academy Awards will honour the biggest and best Hollywood films of 2018 on February 25. Eight films will contest for the top award at the Oscars. They are Black Panther, BlackKklansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, A Star is Born and Vice.

Before the Oscars, here is a basic rundown of things you should know.

Notable presenters

The 2019 Oscars will be the first ceremony in several decades to be conducted without a host. Kevin Hart was originally announced as host, but soon vacated the post after his controversial old tweets were unearthed. The Academy will hope for a star-studded lineup of presenters to make up for the lack of host. They include Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Chris Evans, Jason Momoa, Charlize Theron and several others.

The favourites

Netflix’s Roma and the British period drama The Favourite lead the pack with 10 nominations each. Christian Bale and Rami Malek are considered front-runners for the Best Actor award, while Glenn Close, Rachel Weisz and Lady Gaga are in the running for Best Actress. Alfonso Cuaron is poised to win his second Best Director Oscar, while the Best Picture race has yet to crown a favourite.

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Bradley Cooper, left, and Lady Gaga in a scene from A Star is Born. ( AP )

Performers

Jennifer Hudson, Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper and others will be performing the nominated songs at the ceremony, which will be opened by a live performance by Queen, whose biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has been nominated for Best Picture. Adam Lambert will act as lead vocalist.

Where to watch in India

The Oscars will be telecast live at 6:30 am in India, preceded by the red carpet event at 5:30 am. You can watch the show on Star Movies and Star Movies HD on Monday. There will be a repeat telecast at 8:30 pm. The red carpet will also be live streamed on Twitter and Facebook. You can stream the Oscars on Hotstar at 6:30 am.

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First Published: Feb 24, 2019 14:54 IST