Every year, ahead of the biggest night in Hollywood, Academy Award nominees get invited to a special luncheon party.
It’s become an annual tradition, the unofficial start of the countdown to the ceremony, with the stars mingling, eating a fancy meal, having their photos taken, and generally getting to know each other before the big night – kind of like a big Oscars hen or stag do, without the fancy dress and budget airline flights.
Tom Cruise, celebrating a best picture nomination for his Top Gun return, was among the stars in attendance, along with 182 nominees including Bill Nighy, Colin Farrell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Angela Bassett, Brendan Fraser, Austin Butler and more.
The luncheon, held at a Beverly Hills hotel, is also a chance to highlight the work of some of the less well-known nominees, including those who worked behind the scenes on this year’s biggest film contenders.
Here are some of the photos from the glitzy shindig.
Everyone wants a bit of Cruise
Actress Ashli Ferguson feels the need… the need to grab a selfie. Pic: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP
Best actress nominee Yeoh played it a bit cooler. Pic: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP
No one wants a boring portrait
A bit like school photo day, the Oscars luncheon is a chance for the nominees to get some nice pics to show mum and dad. But there’s always one, isn’t there, best actor nominee Bill Nighy? All portraits: AP/Chris Pizzello
Feeling camera shy? If in doubt, throw your (pretend) Oscar in the air: Swedish filmmaker Ruben Ostlund is up for three awards – best director, best original screenplay, and best picture – for dark comedy Triangle Of Sadness
Or stick it on your shoulder: Brian Tyree Henry is nominated in the best supporting actor category for his performance in Causeway, alongside Jennifer Lawrence
It looks like Everything Everywhere All At Once directors Daniel Scheinert, left, and Daniel Kwan – aka The Daniels – opted for Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who was front of shot
The Irish contingent
Thanks to The Banshees Of Inisherin, set on a fictional island off the west coast of Ireland, there’s a lot of love for Irish stars at this year’s Oscars. Banshees stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson were reunited at the luncheon…
… and Banshees actress Kerry Condon also joined them. All three are up for acting prizes, along with co-star Barry Keoghan, and the film is up for nine awards in total
Irish actor Paul Mescal is also up for the best actor award alongside Farrell, for his performance in coming-of-age drama Aftersun. Pic: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
A big year for newbie nominees
This is a huge year for first-timers, with 16 of the 20 actor nods going to actors who haven’t been in the running before – including Elvis star Austin Butler (pictured) as well as Nighy, Farell, Mescal, Henry, Brendan Fraser and Andrea Riseborough
Stephanie Hsu is also up for her first Oscar, for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once
As is her co-star, Jamie Lee Curtis, who believe it or not has never been up for an Academy Award before, despite her decades in showbiz
And the accessories award goes to…
While most save their big outfits for Oscars day, Domee Shi, director of the animated film Turning Red, raised the bar for lunchtime glam
This year’s Oscars ceremony takes place on Sunday 12 March. Madcap multiverse sc-fi Everything Everywhere All At Once and dark comedy The Banshees Of Inisherin are the favourites to win the best picture prize, with Top Gun: Maverick, The Fabelmans, All Quiet On The Western Front, Tar, Elvis, Avatar: The Return Of Water, Women Talking and Triangle Of Sadness also in the running.
Last year’s event infamously saw eventual best actor winner Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage – an “unprecedented” incident that Academy president Janet Yang addressed at the luncheon, saying the organisation’s response was “inadequate”.
Read more on the Oscars:
Why British star’s nod has sparked controversy
The full list of nominees
Blockbusters, first-timers and snubs – all the talking points this year
She said the organisation had learned from what happened, telling the attendees that the Academy “must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions, and particularly in times of crisis we must act swiftly and compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward”.
Surely everyone will be on their best behaviour this year, no?
You can watch the Oscars exclusively on Sky Showcase on Sunday 12 March from midnight. Sky News will be live on the red carpet at the ceremony in Hollywood on Sunday 12 and live with the winners at the Vanity Fair party on Breakfast with Kay Burley, Monday 13 March
