Regardless of whether or not you were a movie buff before the pandemic started, chances are you’ve at least seen one — or maybe all — of the films nominated for the 2021 Academy Awards. (What else is there to do, amirite?). Taking place on April 25, the 93rd annual ceremony, which was delayed two months due to COVID — is celebrating the best in film IRL: Unlike other awards ceremonies, which moved pretty much entirely virtual (Zoom glitches and all!), the Oscars will take place mostly offline and from two locations, Union Station in Los Angeles and the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. But it won’t look anything like years past. The Academy is reportedly trying to make the Oscars “an intimate, in-person event," which will be preceded by an in-person cocktail party for all the glitzy celebs in attendance (complete with COVID-safe guidelines like an outdoor venue and reduced attendance).
The 2021 nominations are happily more diverse than years past, with two women nominated in the best director category; one of them being Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao, who’s the first woman of colour and first Asian woman to be recognized in the category. On top of this, nine actors of colour have been nominated for their work throughout various categories. (FWIW, this is only a start — there's a lot of work to be done.)
Canadians looking to catch the historic ceremony are in luck. The show will be airing live for those of us north of the border on CTV starting at 8 P.M. EST/ 5 P.M. PST. Tune in at 6:30 P.M. EST/ 3:30 P.M. PST for CTV's exclusive live lead-in to the show, Oscars: Into The Spotlight. The special will showcase nominees, attendees and performers as they get ready for the big night. For those without access to cable, the show can be streamed live at ctv.ca. Heads up though, you’ll need to select a TV provider and sign in with a CTV account to access online, meaning you have some time to hit up your parents for their TV provider info.