Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter in Los Angeles

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The first winners have appeared backstage in the press room - the sound team from Dune.

There are five them, and one microphone. All of them are standing quite far back from it, so the press here are struggling to hear what they're saying. An Academy staffer tells them to step forward to the microphone if they're speaking.

Remember, this is the sound team from Dune. You couldn't make it up.

"The goal was to redefine science fiction in cinema," said one of the film's sound editors Mark Mangini.

"Traditionally, sci-fi uses sound in a way that is designed to complement things you've never seen before with arguably things you maybe have never heard before.

"[Director] Denis Villeneuve's mandate was to make this a universe that sounds familiar, so we had to rethink the sound of sci-fi so it felt like you were in effect hearing a documentary. Most of the sounds were created naturally, we used little synthetic or electronic sounds."

Image source, Reuters

A performance of Dos Oruguitas from the animated film Encanto is now taking place.

It's up for the best original song award later, which was a controversial choice given the success of another track, We Don't Talk About Bruno.

The film's producers had to choose which song to submit before Bruno became such a huge worldwide hit.

Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is not here to witness singer Sebastian Yatra's big moment sadly, but if the bosses of Strictly were watching they might want to sign up the dancing couple that accompanied him on-stage.

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West Side Story star Rachel Zegler just made light of the fact that, until lats week, she was not invited to the Oscars.

She posted about the apparent snub on Instagram, and fans were outraged. The Academy swiftly added her to the guest list.

"I can't believe we're here tonight at the Oscars. Growing up in Australia," said Jacob Elordi. "I never thought that I would stand up on this stage."

"And I never thought that I'd be here six days ago," added Zegler, to much laughter. "Dreams really can come true, pretty fast too."

Dune has won four early awards now, with best visual effects being the latest.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter in Los Angeles

Image source, Getty Images

So far, Dune is sweeping the technical categories just as was expected.

It has picked up prizes including best sound and production design.

The sci-fi epic is sweeping so many categories that it's worth noting which films aren't winning.

Best picture contender The Power of the Dog has missed in some important categories including best cinematography and best editing.

Could we deduce that this means Jane Campion's film doesn't have broad support within the Academy? It certainly isn't performing well so far.

But along with Coda, it is still one of the two main films thought to be competing for best picture.

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After last year's Oscars red carpet was somewhat limited thanks to Covid, the event is back to being the usual full-on fashion bonanza as Hollywood stars return in their droves.

Check out the best of the red carpet looks here.

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We've just seen the presentation of best sound (pictured above), which was recorded in the pre-ceremony and edited into the live TV broadcast to save time.

It's one of the eight categories not being announced live during the ceremony.

It went to Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett for Dune - and viewers at home would be hard-pressed to notice that their speeches were edited into the main show.

Moments later (back in real time), Dune scored another win for best cinematography for Greig Fraser, (pictured below).

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Co-host Hall has just joked she will need to conduct some Covid tests for some of the male stars, by taking a swab test... with her tongue.

Cheeky.

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West Side Story star Ariana DeBose became the first openly queer woman of colour to win an acting Oscar, and on-stage she declared that "dreams do come true".

"Imagine this little girl in the backseat of a white Ford Focus," she said. "Look into her eyes, a queer, openly queer woman of colour and Afro Latina, who found her strength in life through art. And that's what I believe we're here to celebrate."

Referencing the hit song from her musical, she added: "So anybody who's ever questioned your identity ever, or ever found yourself living in the grey spaces, I promise you that there is indeed a place for us."

Image source, Getty Images

The trio kicked off this year's Oscars by saying the awards invited three women to host - "because it's cheaper than hiring one man".

They touched on the decidedly touchy subject of some of the technical awards being presented before the televised show - but added: "We think we've all moved on from this" as the lights crackled on set behind them.

Fun was poked at The Power of the Dog being hard to finish - "I've watched it three times and I'm half-way through it..."

Amy Schumer went solo and said: "I'm not just here as a model but as a mother" - and congratulated everyone for making a movie "during a raging pandemic", adding: "They weren't all great, some of them were hard to understand".

She mentioned Oscar-nominated Don't Look Up, adding: "I guess some of the members of the academy don't look up reviews..." which got a pause and then a laugh from the audience.

Schumer also joked that the troubled Golden Globes might feature in the 'In Memoriam' section during the ceremony.

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Tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams have just opened the show by introducing Beyonce, who gets the show off to a rip-roaring start.

Queen Bey is performing her Oscar-nominated song Be Alive (from King Richard) live from a tennis court.

She is surrounded by a swarm of dancers, all of whom are dressed in the light-green colours of a tennis ball, in keeping with the theme of the film.

The performance is being beamed live into the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre.

We're thinking the Academy must be super relieved that Beyonce was nominated this year, because it's given them the perfect way to deliver one of the strongest starts to an Oscars ceremony in recent memory.

Image source, Reuters

Kristen Stewart is up for best actress for her portrayal of Princess Diana, in Spencer.

Asked about playing the late British Royal on the red carpet, the US actress described her as "one of the nicest people in the world that ever lived".

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Romance blossoms for Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons in the best picture nominee, The Year of the Dog.

But did you know they were actually a couple in real life? (You do now).

They're up for best supporting actress and best supporting actor respectively.

"I feel so lucky," Dunst just told journalists on the red carpet. "We've already won."

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Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem - matching in black - are nominated for best actress in Parallel Mothers and best supporting actor in Being the Ricardos, respectively.

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Musician Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, nominated for best actress for Being the Ricardos, looked very happy to be part of tonight's glamorous event.

Image source, Gett

The awards for the technical categories are continuing to be handed out at the pre-show, (the winners will be edited into the TV broadcast later).

Best animated short went to The Windshield Wiper while best live action short went to The Long Goodbye. That makes British star Riz Ahmed an Oscar winner.

Best documentary short went to The Queen of Basketball.

Best film editing, a very important category which often syncs up with best picture, goes to sci-fi epic Dune.

Best original score and best production design also went to Dune. Together with best sound, announced earlier, that's four awards for the sci-fi saga so far.

Best make-up and hair went to The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Star Jessica Chastain was in the ceremony to show her support for her colleagues. She is nominated for best actress later tonight.

Image source, EPA

Summer of Soul, which chronicles the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, is up best documentary feature.

It happened the same year as Woodstock but go nowhere near as much coverage at the time.

Director and Roots star Questlove has just told journalists how he selected the best footage from a huge archive he had on a rolling loop. "If something grabbed me or gave me goosebumps," it made it into the documentary, he said.

"That was the magic sauce of the film."

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Venus and Serena Williams are here for King Richard, the film which stars Will Smith as their father, for which he is widely tipped to win best actor. The legendary tennis players are both showcasing their stunning figures.

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Ariana DeBose, who is up for best supporting actress for West Side Story, is is rocking a magnificent pair of trousers teamed with a flowing cape.

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Actress Tracee Ellis Ross is also resplendent in red, in a figure-hugging dress which clings and then flows into large ruffles.

Image source, Reuters

As if anyone would ever dis Dame Judi...

Ciarán Hinds plays her on-screen husband in Belfast, which is up for best film, and he's just stopped on the red carpet to tell US journalists how great it was to work with her.

"She's a remarkable human being as well as a great actor," said Hinds.

He's evidently not too shabby himself, having been nominated for best supporting actor.

The Northern Irishman added that people have taken Belfast "to their hearts" because, like Coda he noted, "they tell human stories".

Image source, Reuters

Dame Judi has just told reporters on the red carpet that director Kenneth Branagh took the time to read the entire script of his "childhood story" to her at first, as she can no longer read herself.

"I felt very, very privileged," she said.

We're sure that the feeling was mutual.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment Reporter in Los Angeles

Image source, Getty Images

With Covid-19 cases still halting plans, there are some high-profile stars who are not here tonight.

The most notable absence is perhaps Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. He has had an extraordinary year with the release of three films - In The Heights, Tick Tick... Boom! and Encanto, the latter two are nominated for Oscars tonight.

But sadly he is missing the ceremony after his wife contracted Covid. It's particularly disappointing for him not to be here in person as he could potentially join the EGOT club tonight, if he wins and Oscar to go with his Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards.

Elsewhere, Belfast director Sir Kenneth Branagh and supporting actor nominee Ciarán Hinds missed several Hollywood events this week after testing positive for Covid, but they are now expected to attend the Oscars after testing negative.

Others are absent for different reasons. Three musicians are on tour - nominated composer Hans Zimmer is on a European tour (playing a gig in Amsterdam tonight), best original song nominee Van Morrison is heading to Spain for a gig in Madrid on Tuesday, and Elton John will miss his own after party because he's playing live in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Singer and TV presenter Aled Jones also sadly isn't here to celebrate any Coda wins with his daughter Emilia, who is the film's star. He is performing at a cathedral in Wales as it's the last night of his tour.

It's been a hectic, whirlwind of a few months for Belfast star Jude Hill.

Or as he put it in an interview with BBC Northern Ireland: "I'm very, very lucky, it's been a hell of a ride."

"I mean, not many 11-year-olds get to go to Hollywood and go to the Oscars," added the youngster.

He's not wrong.

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Check out some of the sparkles on the red carpet...

Oscar-nominee Jessica Chastain's figure-hugging gold and lilac dress is a mixture of soft ruffles wth a sparkling gold bodice.

It would definitely match an Oscar, should she get to hold one later on tonight. Stay tuned.

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Dune star Zendaya will not disappoint her legions of loyal fans with a stunning outfit, teaming a flowing silver skirt with a cropped white shirt top.

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Lupita Nyong'o, who of course won best supporting actress for 12 Years a Slave, has a fabulous updo teamed with a bold and very eye-catching dress, which is so golden you'd need sunglasses up close!