Award shows may be losing viewers across the board, but Steven Soderbergh and company are putting their all into making a great show. Set to take place in Los Angeles on April 25, the award show will include stars like Brad Pitt and Halle Berry as well as appearances from Don Cheadle and Zendaya. Adding to night’s festivities, the pre-awards show, Oscars: Into The Spotlight, is just as elaborate as the main ceremony. The pre-awards show will feature performances from H.E.R, Leslie Odom Jr. and Celeste. Leading the way, Lil’ Rel Howery and Ariana DeBose will host the event. This is a major upgrade for Lil’ Rel Howery, who said he wasn’t even invited to the event back in 2018 when Get Out was nominated for “Best Picture.”
“Well, I thought I was. You know, we called today looking for my ticket. And they were like, ‘You’re not in the first group. So, the first tickets that they give out, I’m not on that list,” he said.
Since then, the Chicago native has recorded his own HBO comedy special, starred in his own cable sitcom and starred in another “Best Picture” nominated film, Judas and the Black Messiah. Meanwhile, Ariana DeBose has had her own fair share of success. The actress has starred in Hamilton, The West Side Story and Seaside. This will mark the first time that either actor has led the Academy Awards’ pre-show.
Oscars: Into The Spotlight is set to start at 6:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The main awards ceremony will immediately follow at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
