The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, is a night of glamour and prestige honoring the most excellent of cinematic achievements from the previous year. It’s one of the biggest and most talked about events in the entertainment industry. The first Academy Awards was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on May 16, 1929. Throughout the years there have been new elements brought to the awards ceremony, including memorable moments and various trends gracing the red carpet. Last year, the Oscars drew in approximately 39 million viewers worldwide.
On Feb. 24, Seth MacFarlane will make his first appearance as the host of the 85th Academy Awards. The Oscars, which will be held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries worldwide.
MacFarlane is the creative force behind the television series “Family Guy,” co-creator of “American Dad” and co-writer, director and voice actor for the profane bear in “Ted.” The film, which brought in more than $420 million worldwide, was one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
In an MTV News article, Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said they are “thrilled to have MacFarlane host the Oscars. His performing skills blend perfectly with (their) ideas for making the show entertaining and fresh.”
Last year, the award ceremony (hosted by actor Billy Crystal for the ninth time) brought about much buzz, as social media users held discussions and posted their thoughts during and after the show on Facebook and Twitter. No one could stop talking about Angelina Jolie’s spider-like leg which stuck out of her high-slit dress as she presented an award. The most popular topics included the dramatic and captivating Cirque du Soleil performance and Meryl Streep’s genuine speech when she openly acknowledged that she was surprised she won Best Actress for her leading role in “The Iron Lady.”
The winner’s list included “The Artist” for Best Picture, with actor Jean Dujardin, who won Best Actor for his leading role in the film. Best Animated Feature Film went to “Rango,” while “Hugo” was awarded Best Cinematography.
Although though the Oscars honor the best films of the year, fashion is a huge highlight during the event. Celebrities wait all year to walk the red carpet in their finest designer clothes. It’s inevitable the best and worst dressed on the red carpet will be widely talked about and featured in magazines. Some of the best dressed on the red carpet at the Oscars in 2012 included Rooney Mara, who wore an angelic Givenchy dress; Gwyneth Paltrow in her Tom Ford dress and cape; Jennifer Lopez, in a Zuhair Murad gown, and Emma Stone, who was daring in a bright red floor-length dress by Giambattista Valli.
With the event still months away, there hasn’t been much talk about nominee predictions. However, entertainment editor from the Huffington Post Christopher Rosen said Ben Affleck’s film, “Argo,” is currently a leader in the clubhouse for Best Picture. Although the majority of the nominees are derived from Hollywood, there is a foreign language film category that includes films from 71 countries. Nominations voting will take place between Dec. 17 and Jan. 3, with nominees announced the following week.
Stay updated on the latest news about the 85th Annual Academy Awards ceremony by following @ OscarCeremony on Twitter and on The Oscars 2013 85th Academy Awards page on Facebook.
