STAFF/REUTERS For a second straight year, no persons of color were nominated for best actor, best actress, best supporting actor or best supporting actress.
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Also nominated for the supporting-actor Oscar are Christian Bale for his work as a socially awkward investment-firm head in “The Big Short”, Tom Hardy as DiCaprio’s nemesis in “The Revenant”, Mark Ruffalo as a crusading reporter in “Spotlight” and Mark Rylance as a soft-spoken Russian spy in “Bridge of Spies”.
Some of the signs include the slogans, “Hollywood Must do Better” and “Shame on You”. John organized the free event to thank the city for hosting his annual Academy Awards viewing party to raise funds for his AIDS foundation.
The Oscars is televised live from Los Angeles at the Dolby Center and start at 8:30 p.m. EST.
Viewers protested near the red carpet and others organized a boycott of the broadcast.
The Academy Awards, normally decorous and predictable, are this year charged with enough politics and uncertainty to rival an election debate.
Numerous main categories at the Oscars appear to be locked down, if you listen to industry experts, but every year, the glitzy awards gala throws up plenty of surprises.
Many expect to see a Mexican hat-trick in the best director category, with Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“The Revenant”) widely tipped to repeat after his win for dark comedy “Birdman” previous year.
The Academy Awards has always been criticised as “White-dominated”, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a series of changes to its voting and membership procedures aiming to double its female and “diverse” membership by 2020.
In the academy turmoil, focus on diversity has spread beyond the academy – which can only nominate films that get made – to the studios.
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For me, the Oscars has always been more than just a film award ceremony. And Vice President Joe Biden will introduce a song by Oscar nominee Lady Gaga to push an initiative tackling sexual assault on USA university campuses.
