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AFTER ALL THE hype, speculation, and breathless publicity campaigns, we have finally reached the most important night in Hollywood’s calendar.
At midnight tonight (Irish time), the 95th Academy Awards will kick off in Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, and Irish representation in the auditorium has never been stronger. All the details on how you can watch from Ireland can be found here.
There are 14 nominations for Irish filmmakers, including nine different nominations for The Banshees of Inisherin, and acting noms for Barry Keoghan, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Paul Mescal and Colin Farrell.
Both Farrell and Keoghan have picked up awards earlier in the season, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe respectively, leading to some speculation that either could end the night as Ireland’s first Oscar-winner since Daniel Day Lewis won Best Actor for his performance in Lincoln (2012).
The Journal reporter Aoife Barry has been chronicling events on the ground in LA all week, and will be updating us live from both the red carpet and the winners’ room during the ceremony.
We’ll also have our liveblog running throughout the night, and while we can’t promise a Will Smith storming the stage or Warren Beatty reading out the wrong winner in the Best Picture category, we can promise to keep you abreast of all the night’s major moments (while quietly crossing our fingers that something sufficiently mad might happen).
Tonight’s ceremony begins at midnight Ireland time so kick-off is a while away yet, but we’re starting to see the first few images of Irish filmmakers in their literal Sunday best for tonight’s red carpet.
TG4 shared this photo of the cast and crew of An Cailín Ciúin, which is nominated for Best International Feature.
💚💚💚 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/5KIzywZwoU
— TG4TV🪬 (@TG4TV) March 12, 2023
We’ve also had outfit confirmation from our own Aoife Barry, who is ready for a very long night of reporting ahead. A reminder that you can follow Aoife on Twitter here for updates from the red carpet and beyond. The rest of us, working through the night in Dublin, are graciously and commendably suppressing our envy.
Thought I’d lost my passport mere minutes before this pic https://t.co/SZIwxMclhq
— Aoife Barry (@sweetoblivion26) March 12, 2023
In a weird clarification on our previous posts, this year’s Oscars carpet is actually not going to be red. Instead, it’s going to be champagne-coloured. So, let’s pretend that all my previous mentions of a “red carpet” were metaphorical.
A report in Variety has said that the champagne-coloured carpet marks the first time since 1961 that the Academy has deviated from the classic red, and that stains have literally begun to show already.
“Variety overheard that dirtied patches of the carpet had to be swiftly recut and replaced behind the scenes so nary a nominee would notice the spots.” This is why they should have stuck with my suggestion of red.
In more Irish news, we’ve also got footage of the An Cailín Ciúin team singing “Oró, sé do bheatha ‘bhaile” as they begin their journey to the champagne carpet (doesn’t sound as good as red carpet). But it’s a damn good video.
Oró, sé do bheatha 'bhaile 🇮🇪 #Oscars
— TG4TV🪬 (@TG4TV) March 12, 2023
📸 @caterinacoyne pic.twitter.com/v1lzIpT1bG
We finally have a running order for the night’s ceremony. Actress in a Supporting Role will be the first category, meaning that Tipperary native Kerry Condon will be the first Irish filmmaker to hear her name read aloud alongside her fellow nominees tonight (Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hong Chau and Angela Bassett).
Barry and Brendan’s turn won’t be too far behind…
Here's the run of show for tonight's #Oscars. https://t.co/i5wEon5M8t pic.twitter.com/2AhdoycakB
— Variety (@Variety) March 12, 2023
We have our first sighting of young Paul Mescal outside the Dolby Theatre. The actor, famous for his roles in the Denny’s Ballyhaunis ad and something called Normal People, is nominated for his role as a single-father in indie film Aftersun. He’s up against his fellow countryman Colin Farrell for Best Actor tonight.
He’s rocking the white tux tonight, the kind that had he worn to his debs would have earned him a lifelong nickname. As this is the Oscars though, we’re pretty sure he’s going to get away with it.
#PaulMescal arrives at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/q1r0puoW8l
— Baz Bamigboye @Deadline (@BazBam) March 12, 2023
Malala Yousafzai, an executive producer on Joshua Seftel’s short film Stranger at the Gate, which is nominated in the Best Documentary Short Film category, has also arrived on the champagne carpet (having to call it anything other than a red carpet will bother me for the rest of the evening).
Her production company, Extracurricular, made the doc which tells the story of an “unlikely meeting between a PTSD-afflicted, Islamaphobic former Marine and the members of an Indiana mosque (notably an Afghan refugee named Bibi Bahrami) that help diffuse his violent tendencies toward them”.
We’ve also got husband-and-wife director-and-producer team behind An Cailín Ciúin Colm Bairéad and Cleona Ní Chrualaoi making their carpet debut.
Their category comes up around halfway through the ceremony, so we should expect to hear whether they’ve won at around 2.45am Ireland time.
KERRY CONDON, EVERYONE.
Best Supporting Actress nominee Kerry Condon is beautiful at the #Oscars. https://t.co/ESbPYqrUFK pic.twitter.com/ffGJ4aGKlk
— Variety (@Variety) March 12, 2023
Sky Showcase’s coverage of the red carpet has begun, and they have just acknowledged that Bill Nighy and Andrea Riseborough are the only two British nominees tonight, which hopefully means that Mescal, Condon, Gleeson, Farrell and Keoghan are safely ours for the night.
Martin McDonagh has hinted that there could be a third “end of the trilogy”-style film featuring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, who have starred alongside one another in his films Banshees of Inisherin and In Bruges.
McDonagh also threw his weight behind Farrell for the Best Actor gong, saying: “He’s so open to being broken, I guess. It’s not an alpha type role. It’s just so sensitive and he’s so nuanced and both heartbreaking and funny all at the same time. His change from the first scene to the end is momentous. I’m not sure if I’ve seen that on screen before so definitely, he gets my vote.”
Anyone who’s tuned into Sky Showcase’s coverage of the red (champagne) carpet will not be able to ignore the chaos unfolding and the impossible challenge facing any and all reporters trying to grab the stars for even a momentary chat.
Excitement for the ceremony itself is mounting, not least because frenetic energy of the champagne carpet needs to come to an end.
We’ve just had an interview with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who is not nominated for anything, giving a 10-second acceptance speech for a fictive ‘Best Pink Suit’ award. Around 20 minutes to go now.
We’ve got Best Actor nom Colin Farrell tuxed up, joined by his son Henry Tadeusz. He’s facing stiff competition from Brendan Fraser (The Whale) and Austin Butler (Elvis).
Colin Farrell brought his son Henry Tadeusz to the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/pxk1dqGbpv
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) March 12, 2023
Brendan Gleeson has been speaking on the champagne carpet: “It could have been a small film for a small audience but it’s become a universal thing and that’s what this is all about,” Gleeson said of Banshees of Inisherin.
On whether the film could realise any of its nine opportunities for gold tonight, the veteran Irish actor said: “I hope something but nobody is going to believe me when I say, but this is a historic occasion, it’s a story that’s ours… There’s no downside to it. If we win anything it would be brilliant but it doesn’t really matter that much.”
Now that is what I call a suit, Barry. Look at him. Just look at him. Feast your eyes.
Jimmy Kimmel opens with the joke “my Banshees are caught in my Inisherin right now.”
The Americans don’t exactly thrive on Irish comedy, do they?
“It was some year for inclusion at the Oscars, we have nominees from every corner of Dublin here tonight.”
“Five Irish actors are nominated tonight, which means the odds of a fight onstage just went way up.”
The Irish catching a LOT of strays from Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue.
First award of the night – Best Animated Feature – goes to Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, a stop-motion take on the classic folktale produced by Netflix.
Guillermo del Toro is the first person to win Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Animated Feature in #Oscars history! pic.twitter.com/n8vTkW9ffG
— Netflix (@netflix) March 13, 2023
It’s a bit of disappointment for Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan in the Best Supporting Actor category as the award goes to Ke Huay Quan for his (to be fair, phenomenal) performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once.
The child star known for The Goonies and Indiana Jones took 30 years away from acting due to a lack of roles before an astonishing comeback last year.
In his acceptance speech, Vietnamese-born Quan notes that his story started “on a boat” and notes that he spent “a year in a refugee camp”. “Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine,” he says.
An historic Oscars moment.
Congratulations to Ke Huy Quan on winning Best Supporting Actor! @allatoncemovie #Oscars95 pic.twitter.com/VEI3I0bZDh
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 13, 2023
Sadly, Kerry Condon is another star of Banshees who will go home empty handed as Jamie Lee Curtis has taken home the award for Best Supporting Actress. This one was a bit of a surprise, with oddsmakers leaning towards both Condon and Angela Bassett before the night began.
She also beat her Everything Everywhere All At Once co-star Stephanie Hsu to nab the award.
The award for Best Documentary has gone to Navalny, about jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The film centres around Navalny’s alleged poisoning by Russian government forces.
Navalny remains in solitary in solitary confinement for his stand against “Vladimir Putin’s unjust war in Ukraine”. Director Daniel Roher was joined onstage by Navalny’s wife Julia, who said her husband was in prison for “telling the truth and defending democracy”.
“I am dreaming of the day you will be free, and the day our country will be free. Stay strong, my love.”
Congratulations to 'Navalny,' this year's Best Documentary Feature Film! #Oscars95 pic.twitter.com/xOp8ujCa4k
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 13, 2023
A WIN FOR IRELAND!
An Irish Goodbye has taken the award for Best Short Film.
“Winning this award is the second most important thing today,” director Tom Berkeley told the crowd.
Star of the movie, James Martin, an actor with Down Syndrome, was then serenaded onstage by his castmates as well as the entire audience as today is his birthday.
An Irish Goodbye ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ #Oscars pic.twitter.com/d1sPkpc6p8
— TG4TV🪬 (@TG4TV) March 13, 2023
Here is that very special moment when Irish actor James Martin was serenaded with a Happy Birthday by a theatre full of the biggest names in Hollywood, moments after his film An Irish Goodbye won the Oscar for Best Short Film.
the guys who made An Irish Goodbye used their Oscar acceptance speech to have every A-lister in Hollywood sing Happy Birthday to their star, James Martin. iconic! pic.twitter.com/J4LLHwMla3
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) March 13, 2023
JENNY THE DONKEY IS ONSTAGE. I REPEAT, JENNY THE DONKEY IS ONSTAGE.
Is she the first donkey to have ever taken the stage at the Oscars?
JENNY THE DONKEY ONSTAGE pic.twitter.com/ci1xZ4zgQ9
— Carl Kinsella (@TVsCarlKinsella) March 13, 2023
We’ve also had a few winners in the technical categories over the last half an hour.
There were no Irish nominees in these categories so we don’t need to be too heartbroken that we didn’t win any of them.
An Cailín Ciúin has missed out on Oscars glory to All Quiet On The Western Front, the German entry into the category of Best International Feature Film. The movie had been hot favourite, and is also nominated in the overall Best Picture category, as well as Best Adapted Screenplay.
A few more winners in the shorts categories.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse has taken the prize for Best Animated Short Film. Netflix’s The Elephant Whisperers has won the award Best Short Documentary.
All Quiet On The Western Front is beginning to gather serious momentum. The German film has now added Best Production Design and Best Original Score to its growing list of awards for the night.
That makes it four for the night, with further nominations to come in the Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. Makes one wonder how such a film could fail to be nominated in the Best Director category? The mystery of the Academy.
Best Production Design Oscar 🤝 'All Quiet on the Western Front'
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 13, 2023
Congratulations to the talented production design team behind @allquietmovie! #Oscars #Oscars95 pic.twitter.com/q6bym2jXE0
It’s a second win for Ireland at tonight’s 95th Academy Awards as Avatar: The Way of Water wins the award for Best Visual Effects. Visual effects designer Richard Baneham of Tallaght, Dublin has scooped his second ever Oscar, having already won for the original Avatar film.
Baneham opened his speech with “Go raibh míle maith agat”. We love to see it.
The rest of the team was cruelly played off just as they began to say “We have to thank our families”. They’re playing everyone off with ruthless efficiency tonight.
Best Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett (AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER) #Oscars pic.twitter.com/RX9P7Mospv
— MUBI (@mubi) March 13, 2023
Host Jimmy Kimmel has tried yet another Irish joke, asking Colin Farrell “what he was saying” in Banshees of Inisherin. I think it may be time for them to let this go.
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known professionally as The Daniels, have won the award for Best Original Screenplay. It’s another miss for Banshees of Inisherin. Martin McDonagh had been nominated in the category.
The Daniels wrote Everything Everywhere All At Once, an film that began with Kwan’s idea to “put his mom in the Matrix”.
Women Talking has taken the award for Best Adapted Screenplay, written and directed by Sarah Polley, based on a novel of the same name by Miriam Toews. The film starred Irish actress Jessie Buckley.
Naatu Naatu from RRR has been awarded Best Original Song and, at the risk of sounding impartial, it absolutely was the best song.
Best Film Editing has seen yet another award go to Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is keeping pace with All Quiet On The Western Front as the big winner of the night. It’s another category in which Banshees of Inisherin had been nominated.
Host Jimmy Kimmel has also just taken a swipe at Tucker Carlson, over his recent editing of the January 6th Capitol attack. Nice to see a joke land.
We’re coming towards the end of the night now. Nobody has been slapped.
WOW. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert beat out Martin McDonagh, Steven Spielberg, Todd Field and Ruben Ostlund to win the coveted Best Director award for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Scheinert makes a small political statement, thanking his parents for not stifling his creativity when he was younger and dressing in drag, “which is a threat to nobody”.
Brendan Fraser has won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in The Whale, beating out Colin Farrell, Paul Mescal, Austin Butler and Bill Nighy.
In an emotional speech, Fraser thanked director Darren Aronofsky for “throwing [me] a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard.” Fraser said it was a honour to be named alongside his fellow nominees, and said “only whales could swim at the depth of the talent of Hong Chau,” his The Whale co-star.
In the penultimate award of the evening, Michelle Yeoh has claimed the prize of Best Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once, bringing it to a total of six awards for the film – including three of the four acting awards.
Yeoh beat out Cate Blanchett, Andrea Riseborough, Ana De Armas and Michelle Williams.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight. Ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime,” Yeoh said, paying tribute to her family in Malaysia and Hong Kong.
In the final award of the night, Everything Everywhere All At Once capped off a momentous evening – scooping its seventh award, the definitive Best Picture.
The A24-produced EEAAO also took home the awards for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
Thanks for staying up with us. We hope you’ve enjoyed the liveblog, and we hope you’ll keep reading our breakout coverage of the biggest stories from a big night for the Irish entertainment and film industry.
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who gives a oot about someones wedding right now, money racket scheme anyway, means nothing
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: You’d change your tune if it was your wedding that had been postponed twice and you’d been shittinga.brick all week that you could only have 4 guests
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: very easy to say if you aren’t getting married. Was due to be married in June and it was cancelled. Rescheduled to November. I now have to tell many of my nearest and dearest that they can’t attend as we had originally invited 50. If it was reduced further to six myself and my fiance would have had to choose between our parents on who could attend.
@jzT: I’m not even trying to say stuff bad about people getting married, thats obviously horrible they have to wait but just ridiculous that theres an entire article dedicated to it after the announcement, like how can they be so ignorant to real problems and not report them
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: who hurt you?
@Conor Doherty Coughlan:
Fine comment when it doesn’t involve you! My son is getting married on the 5th of December and thankfully brothers and sisters can now attend. Prior to this we were looking at one priest, three stewards and the couple themselves with no family. Heartbreaking for parents!
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: funny how nobody cares when it doesn’t impact them. Like calling fir everything to be closed when you are working away on a full salary… maybe everybody should go on PUP during level 5 including NPHET and Politicians. Reckon we would be having a different conversation after a week.
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: An article was needed, actually.
There was no statement on whether the 5km rule would apply, and now we know the government’s position on that.
Never mind the weddings. What about all the extra divorces there’ll be this year?
@Liz O’Neill: it won’t be this year. Or next year with all the backlogs in tbe courts .
Are they closing the arrivals @ Dublin airport for non Irish citizens or is that too logical?
@Bailey Tormey: You’re making too much sense, stop it.
@Bailey Tormey: Who do you think is flying into the Country? The Airport is dead, there are Zero tourists in the Country. The only People flying into the Country are People who live here. The Aviation sector have been hung out to dry by the Government and Media. But suspicious the day another lockdown is announced because of Government incompetence because they didn’t increase ICU capacity they release a Story about a Man infecting 56 People and have a lovely graph to go with it. Pity they didn’t put as much thought into protecting nursing homes and increasing vital ICU beds
@David Garland: not true. There is a steady stream of people flying.
@Liberal Artisté: it is true, what tourists are in the Country? I work at the Airport everyday and haven’t seen one tourist since the end of lockdown
@David Garland: ireland in winter for a tourist is Cat. Close the pubs on top of that and it’s worse again. Add to that the shops, restaurants, hotels and limit the distance to 5k and I’m pretty sure well be limiting the no. Of tourists coming in. Dont be worrying about who’s coming through the airport, it ain’t an issue. Shop local or online shop Irish.
The lockdown rules are a joke, they haven’t got a clue what they are doing. Children can still go to school and mix with a number of students but someone can’t have anyone visit their home. Why don’t they stop flights or quarantine ppl properly who are coming in, that has a lot to do with it. They should take note from what they did in New Zealand.
25 guest, OK church’s, hotels, pubs, restaurants closed not allowed in a house. How do you have 25 guests? A wedding is a social event.
@David Connolly: churches are allowed to hold weddings, yes all else is closed, but hey marriage, if you believe that kind of thing, is a religious sacrament, the big party does not have to be part of day. If the party is all that matters then postpone till it can be held.
Complete over reaction , this lockdown will destroy country not covid
This blanket 5km rule is absolutely absurd. You could walk 5km in the countryside and meet nobody you won’t do that in a town or city. Actually its absolutely nonsense I have to drive 40 miles to work with 300 people but I can’t drive 10km to play golf on my own
@Michael McGrath:
Sure have your game of golon your way home from work and yoh wont be going out of your way…
@Michael McGrath: We had this argument last time it was in, you can’t deny the cases went down.
Wrong decision
@Micheal: care to elaborate
25 at a wedding. 32 in a classroom with no masks.
@Jonathan Regan: in my kids secondary school they all wear masks in the class.
@Jason Ebbs: and at lunch? In between classes? Travelling to and from school?
@A d d y o u r n a m e: not responsibility of school with the coming and going to the school. But in my kids school they have staggered the start and finish times with 10 minutes between the years. So 1st year finishes at 3:30, 2nd year at 3:40 and so on, and the same when starting. They get a mask break between each class, so the class goes outside and walks around the football pitch with their masks off while supervised by a teacher. During lunch they are not allowed leave the class they are in and so eat their lunch at their 2m distanced desks.
@Jason Ebbs: Sounds like prison
@King B: Sounds no different to other years in school, which also felt like prison for many.
@King B: the school is doing their best to keep kids safe, which I appreciate. The kids aren’t complaining, so all is good.
Should be 25 allowed at funerals, leaving 25 for weddings, just doesn’t seem fair
I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again. If you are or were due to get married this year, take a hint ;-)
Why would even be bothered, not worth the expense, postpone until this joke is over.
@Tom Bombdadil: that doesn’t suit everyone. Some people want to get on with their lives and may postpone and still be in the same position.
As usual they nearly did it. Either go all in or dont go at all.
Airports open essential services is basically most and no enforcement. A complete waste of time.
So if your getting married or a guest at a wedding your immune from covid? Makes as much sense as a €9 euro meal reducing your chances of contracting covid.
Are golf clubs remaining open?
@Sam Louise: Ya but they’re growing the rough and slicking up the greens. We just can’t catch a break!
@Jeremiah A Craic: still no word whether they are/ can remain open! GUI to release a statement this morning
Call the solicitors over and sign the papers and be done with it. Have the party when all this rubbish is over
@Colin: solicitors have nothing to do with weddings. Its a registrar or priest.
@Daff. Myers: They’ll come into it eventually! ;)
Does that mean 25 can attend the reception?
@Catherine Cosgrave Kehoe: It’s condescending because there is nowhere to have a reception & you can only meet people from one household.
@Kevin O’Brien: can you travel to the wedding?
@Kevin O’Brien: with 5k restrictions
@Seagoat returns: Tbh I’ve no idea, it’s a clear as mud.
@Kevin O’Brien: cheers, trying to get out of a wedding (winky face)
@Seagoat returns: In that case, no. No way can you travel beyond 5km, don’t even think about. You’ll be a disgrace to the nation if you do. Stay at home & don’t attend that wedding. ;¬)
@Kevin O’Brien: thought so, couldn’t do it. much appreciated sir
@Seagoat returns: You’re more than welcome.
@Seagoat returns: You can travel to attend a wedding and leave the county.
25 at weddings is a joke
How can 25 people, potentially on the piss be allowable at a wedding. Unfortunate for couples, but it doesn’t make sense.
@Eddie Forde: Its essentially the same as the gaa. The lads don’t social distance during the game at all or after and almost all are working other jobs with other people. Makes about as much sense as a wedding.
Increase in weddings over the next 6 weeks, most popular venue in local pubs
@Over the top: Except, the pubs are closed.
Does the 25 include the bride and groom? Or is it 25 guests?
@Conor J Linnane: I think it’s 25 in total, so the couple, guests and the staff all included in that number.
@Conor J Linnane: but to go where? There is nowhere to hold a reception I assume and only 1 household can mix?
@Jason Ebbs: nope – anyone in a professional capacity is not included in the numbers at a wedding ceremony and it’s unclear if the couple are included in the 25 as you are not a guest at your own wedding nor do you attend your own wedding. You host your own wedding. This is where the wording needs to be CRYSTAL clear!
@#blacklivesmatter #ibelieveher #werepealedthe8th: if you read the second paragraph in this very article “the number of attendees includes the couple and the celebrant…”
@Julianne Power: The wedding is in a registry office or Church. You can have the p…up next year!
@Jason Ebbs: the legislation says different. I work in the industry Thanks for mansplaining though. Always appreciated!
@Jason Ebbs: aaaaah they added that paragraph later. Wasn’t there originally. Cheers
@Conor J Linnane:
It said 25 guests
@#blacklivesmatter #ibelieveher #werepealedthe8th: you are welcome. Regarding your comment “mansplanning”…. I have no idea if you are male or female…..so I don’t know how I am being condescending.
You said I was wrong and I simply pointed out what the article stated. But as I said you’re welcome ;-)
@Julianne Power: One would assume they are in about the church. A reception is just that, an after party, in no way shape or form is part of getting married from a legal point of view.
When do all these restrictions kick in?
@Brian Tracy: Midnight Wednesday
have your say