[liveblog]
We’re all geared up for the 89th Academy Awards ceremony that kicks off at 7 am IST. With a total of joint-record 14 nominations, the American jazz musical La La Land is everyone’s favourite to sweep this year’s Oscars. But hey, there are also the likes of Arrival, Moonlight and Hell Or High Water that will be giving it a tough fight for the top honours.
As opposed to the 2016 Oscars, where no non-white talent was recognised in any of the four acting categories, this year also has a host performers of colour, including Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, among the top contenders. Hacksaw Ridge, with Andrew Garfield in the lead, is waving the flag for Brit films while brown artists like Dev Patel are also vying for the black lady.
Hollywood legend Meryl Streep has been nominated for a record 20th time, beating her own previous feat of 19 while the French veteran Isabelle Huppert has made her debut on the nominees list for the Oscars. So it’s over to the Jimmy Kimmel now to take the show forward.
We’ll be glued to our screens to bring you the latest from the extravaganza. Stay tuned for the best from this year’s Oscars!