Before the Oscars...

While the curtains open on the 2018 Oscars, all eyes will be on the biggest contenders of the night. As usual, there are some films pegged to take home most of the awards, but it will be interesting to see who bags the most-coveted Best Picture Oscar with nine films being nominated. Here are some interesting facts about this time’s awards ceremony.

BREAKING HER OWN RECORD

Meryl Streep is the most-nominated actor of all time with her 21st nomination this year. She is up for the Best Actress Award for her role as publisher Katharine Graham in The Post. She has already notched three wins for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Sophie’s Choice (1982), and The Iron Lady (2011). Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson are the other two performers to have received the second-most Oscar nominations at 12.

GUNNING FOR HIS FORTH OSCAR

Daniel Day-Lewis, who is up for Best Actor for his role in Phantom Thread, is already the recipient of three Best Actor Oscars (My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown, There Will Be Blood, and Lincoln). If he wins this year, he will be breaking his own record in the category. 

GIRL POWER

Greta Gerwig, who is nominated for Best Director, is the first female filmmaker to be shortlisted for the award in the last eight years. Kathryn Bigelow was the last woman to be nominated for her film Hurt Locker in 2010, and she became the only female to win in that category.

13 IS ALUCKY NUMBER

The Shape of Water has earned the maximum number of nominations at this year’s ceremony. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the movie is up for 13 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. 

Meanwhile, Dunkirk is up for eight nominations, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has seven. The shape of Water is also the tenth film in Oscar history to earn 13 nominations. The maximum nominations ever received — 14 — is held by All about Eve, Titanic and La La Land.

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

Christopher Plummer, who is up for Best Supporting  Actor, is 88. This makes him the oldest in the category. He already holds the title for the oldest acting winner, having won for his supporting role in Beginners at the age of 82. At 89, Agnes Varda is the oldest Oscar nominee of all time. She’s been shortlisted for the Best Documentary Feature for Faces Places.

GOLDEN JUBILEE AND BEYOND

John Williams has more Oscar nominations than anyone alive. This year marks his 51st, as he’s nominated for the Best Original Score for The Last Jedi. The only person with more nods was Walt Disney, who was nominated 59 times (and won 22 times).

LET BYGONE BE BYGONES

The most unforgettable moment of last year’s Academy Awards was, of course, the Best Picture mix-up. For those who don’t recollect, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced La La Land as the winners instead of Moonlight, due to an envelope mix-up by accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers. Well, the duo will return this time to present the top honour. 

MISSING THE MEN?

Blame it on the #MeToo and #Time’sUp movement if you will, but the Oscars will have fewer white male presenters. From the nearly 30 presenters, almost 60 per cent are women, and 51 per cent are people of colour.

WHAT’S IN THE GOODIE BAG?

While the winners of the night get to proudly flaunt their award, all nominees are also gifted goodie bags. This year’s swag bags are reportedly worth more than $100,000, including items such as a 12-night Tanzania adventure, six-night stay in Hawaii, anti-ageing eye masks infused with gold, colour-changing lipsticks, bluetooth speakers, and a pepper spray, among other items.   

WATCH OUT FOR...

Reportedly, each Oscar-nominated artiste for the Best Original Song will take the stage. Expect some memorable performances by Mary J Blige who will sing Mighty River from Mudbound, Common with Stand Up for Something from Marshall, Gael Garcia Bernal, Andra Day, Natalia LaFourcade and Miguel.

AND THE NOMINATIONS ARE...

Best actor:

• Timothée Chalamet — Call Me by Your Name
• Daniel Day-Lewis — Phantom Thread
• Daniel Kaluuya — Get Out
• Gary Oldman — Darkest Hour
• Denzel Washington — Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Best actress:

• Sally Hawkins — The Shape of Water
• Frances McDormand — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Margot Robbie — I, Tonya
• Saoirse Ronan — Lady Bird
• Meryl Streep — The Post

Best film

• Call Me by Your Name
• Darkest Hour
• Dunkirk
• Get Out
• Lady Bird
• Phantom Thread
• The Post
• The Shape of Water
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best director:

• Christopher Nolan — Dunkirk 
• Jordan Peele — Get Out
• Greta Gerwig — Lady Bird  
• Paul Thomas Anderson — Phantom Thread 
• Guillermo del Toro — The Shape of Water