The 93rd Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars) will broadcast tonight, April 25th. This ceremony will recognize the films and their associated talent in a particularly strange and difficult year for the industry, which has been forced to adapt to some big changes during the pandemic. Cinemas weren’t where most people saw newly-released movies. Instead, many of those films were pushed faster than ever to digital distribution platforms like Vudu, Apple TV, and Google TV for purchase or rental. Some were even made available simultaneously with the theatrical release, like some Warner Bros. films on HBO Max.
This year’s Oscars are happening later in the year than usual, apparently to make room for more movies, since the pandemic dried up the release schedule. In addition, this year’s ceremony marks the first time that some streaming-only movies will qualify for an Oscar award.
Despite all that, we’re here to tell you how to watch the show that celebrates the movies of the year and the people who helped make them possible. First, we’ll dig into when and how you can watch the stream, then we’ll dig into the nominations.
WHO’S HOSTING THE OSCARS?
In 2019, the Academy Awards were host-less for the first time in 30 years, and this year will be the same. Instead of relying on a single host, there will be a cast of presenters, including Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Bong Joon Ho, Don Cheadle, Steven Yeun, Bryan Cranston, Laura Dern, Harrison Ford, Regina King, Marlee Matlin, Rita Morena, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Renée Zellweger, and Zendaya.
WHAT TIME DO THE OSCARS START?
ABC is handling the televised stream, which starts at 8PM ET / 5PM PT.
HOW DO I WATCH THE ACADEMY AWARDS ONLINE?
ABC is accessible for free in the US via an over-the-air antenna, but otherwise, you’ll have to be a subscriber to a service to gain access to the awards show.
You can watch it on the ABC channel on cable or satellite, or you can watch through your browser by logging in to ABC’s site with your cable or satellite credentials.
Alternatively, several streaming services offer ABC with a subscription. Availability varies by region, but most people who subscribe to YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, and FuboTV should have access. And if you only want to watch for this one night, you’ll be happy to know that all of these services offer free trials of varying lengths (though all require credit card information to sign up).
Finally, if you can wait until May 2nd, that’s when ABC will make the Oscars free to watch on its site without requiring a log-in, according to its FAQ.
HOW DO I WATCH THE CEREMONY OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES?
ABC hasn’t updated its list of international partners that will broadcast the Oscars, though its site says that the Oscars will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
WHAT ARE THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS?
Our sister site Polygon has put together a comprehensive post that has all of the 2021 nominations. You can check that out right here.
And if you’re hungry for opinions on some Best Picture nominees from us, Vox, and Polygon, check out the links below:
