award ceremony sets order with Best Actress and Best Picture at the end; anticipation builds for “I’m Still Here”

The 2025 Oscar ceremony, scheduled for today, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, promises a night filled with intense emotions and fierce competition. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the official order of award presentations, reserving the most prestigious categories—Best Actress and Best Picture—for the grand finale. For Brazil, the stakes are particularly high: “I’m Still Here,” directed by Walter Salles, is vying for three major awards—Best Picture, Best International Feature Film, and Best Actress with Fernanda Torres—raising hopes for a historic milestone in Brazilian cinema.

Broadcast live starting at 9 PM (Brasília time), the 97th Academy Awards will be hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, marking his debut as the event’s emcee. The decision to close with the top categories reflects the Academy’s strategy to keep global audiences engaged until the final moments, especially with standout contenders like Brazil’s “I’m Still Here” and Mexico’s “Emilia Pérez,” which leads with 13 nominations. The night will also feature special coverage by Terra, offering real-time analysis and behind-the-scenes insights for cinema fans.

The event, honoring the best of 2024, coincides with Carnival Sunday in Brazil, yet Globo has chosen to prioritize the Oscars broadcast across most of the country, except in Rio de Janeiro, where samba school parades will take center stage. With a well-crafted narrative structure, the award sequence blends technical categories at the start with the most anticipated trophies at the end, a format proven to sustain viewer interest throughout the over three-hour runtime.

Award order fuels excitement in Brazil

The sequence of awards has been meticulously designed to build toward an electrifying climax. Kicking off with Best Supporting Actor and moving through technical categories like Best Costume Design and Best Original Score, the ceremony places Best International Feature Film past the midway point—a critical moment for Brazil. “I’m Still Here” faces stiff competition from films like “Emilia Pérez,” but its triple nomination is already considered a historic achievement, marking the first time a Brazilian film contends directly for Best Picture.

Following announcements for categories such as Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress, the event picks up momentum with Best Animated Feature and Best Editing before reaching the directing and lead acting awards. Positioning Best Actress as the penultimate category, followed by Best Picture, heightens the night’s drama, particularly with Fernanda Torres competing against stars like Demi Moore and Cynthia Erivo. The prospect of a Brazilian win keeps local audiences on edge, while the rivalry with Jacques Audiard’s musical intensifies the international showdown.

Tight races define this year’s edition

The 2025 Oscars arrive with a slate of nominees showcasing the diversity and strength of global cinema. “Emilia Pérez,” with its 13 nods, is a frontrunner in multiple categories, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress, where Zoe Saldaña stands out after her Golden Globe win. Meanwhile, “I’m Still Here” carries the weight of representing Brazil on an unprecedented stage, with Fernanda Torres earning praise for her raw portrayal of Eunice, a mother seeking justice during the military dictatorship.

Other contenders are also set to shake up the night. “Conclave” and “Anora” emerge as potential dark horses for Best Picture, bolstered by the Academy’s preferential voting system, which favors widely admired films. On the men’s side, Adrien Brody, for “The Brutalist,” and Timothée Chalamet, for “A Complete Unknown,” elevate the Best Actor race. In the supporting actress category, Ariana Grande, nominated for “Wicked,” squares off against Zoe Saldaña in a clash blending pop stardom with seasoned talent.

The strength of this year’s nominees is underscored by numbers. Beyond “Emilia Pérez” and its 13 nominations, “I’m Still Here” shines with three major nods, while films like “Dune: Part Two” and “Wicked” rack up technical and artistic mentions. Brazil’s presence, paired with the impact of international productions, signals an edition celebrating both local talent and the globalization of filmmaking, keeping the spotlight on the Dolby Theatre until the final award.

Timeline of the night: how the awards will unfold

The 2025 Oscars follow a structure balancing tension and celebration. The Academy’s full award order is as follows:

• Best Supporting Actor
• Best Costume Design
• Best Original Score
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling
• Best Live-Action Short Film
• Best Animated Short Film
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Supporting Actress
• Best Original Song
• Best Documentary Feature
• Best Documentary Short Film
• Best International Feature Film
• Best Animated Feature
• Best Editing
• Best Production Design
• Best Sound
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Cinematography
• Best Actor
• Best Director
• Best Actress
• Best Picture

This lineup adheres to the tradition of opening with supporting categories and progressing to the night’s biggest honors, with Best International Feature Film strategically placed after the main commercial break, heightening anticipation for Brazilian viewers.

Past surprises shape current expectations

Looking back at previous years sheds light on this edition’s approach. In 2020, “Parasite” stunned by winning Best International Feature Film before clinching Best Picture, a first for a non-English-language film. In 2021, the Academy’s bold move to end with Best Actor crowned Anthony Hopkins, defying expectations of a posthumous tribute to Chadwick Boseman and sparking debate about the finale. These moments fuel speculation for 2025, with “I’m Still Here” potentially echoing “Parasite’s” triumph or a twist emerging in the closing categories.

Fernanda Torres’s Best Actress nod also recalls tales of Oscar underdog victories. Her role in “I’m Still Here” has captivated international critics, and placing the category near the end could signal the Academy’s intent to spotlight standout performances. Meanwhile, the Best Picture race pits Brazil against heavyweights, where preferential voting might favor “Emilia Pérez” or an unexpected contender like “Conclave.”

Where and how to watch the ceremony live

The 2025 Oscars will air live in the U.S. on ABC, with coverage starting at 8 PM (local time). In Brazil, TNT, HBO Max, and Globoplay will broadcast the full event from 9 PM (Brasília time). Globo joins at 9:55 PM, post-“Fantástico,” though Rio de Janeiro viewers will see samba school parades instead. The red carpet, a fan favorite, kicks off at 7:30 PM on TNT, spotlighting arrivals like Fernanda Torres and Walter Salles.

For Brazilians, the thrill of “I’m Still Here” competing in three categories adds a unique flavor to the night. The Best International Feature Film announcement, set for after the midway mark, will gauge its chances in the final stretch. Terra’s coverage, meanwhile, promises exclusive details—from red carpet fashion to backstage scoops—keeping audiences in the loop throughout.

Red carpet highlights kick off the festivities

Even before the awards begin, the red carpet steals the show with cinema’s biggest names. Fernanda Torres arrived at the Dolby Theatre in a black gown that took over 400 hours to craft, exuding elegance and sophistication. Stars like Ariana Grande and Zoe Saldaña also turned heads with bold, glamorous looks reflecting the season’s trends.

The pre-ceremony offers nominees a prime chance to boost their campaigns under the global spotlight. Walter Salles and Fernanda Torres, representing Brazil, posed together and drew international praise, amplifying “I’m Still Here’s” visibility. The anticipation is that the red carpet buzz will set the stage for a night that could make history for Brazilian cinema, depending on the outcomes later revealed.

Technical categories launch the night with impact

Unlike the headline-grabbing awards saved for the end, technical categories kick things off. Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling are among the first announced, honoring the vital craftsmanship behind major films. Titles like “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two” are frontrunners here, contrasting with the heavier dramas dominating acting and directing races.

This technical start warms up the audience, paving the way for the night’s emotional peaks. The shift to categories like Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay, still in the first half, begins to hint at Best Picture contenders, with “Conclave” and “Anora” gaining traction. For Brazil, the real test comes later, but the technical opener sets a competitive, diverse tone for the evening.