LOS ANGELES — Hollywood’s most illustrious performers gather Sunday for the 98th Academy Awards as the red carpet opens at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, providing A-list celebrities their ultimate moment in the spotlight where some will triumph through fashion even if they fail to claim Oscar statuettes when the ceremony concludes hours later.
For this year’s nominees, the Oscars red carpet represents the final opportunity to dazzle before the curtain closes on award season. While some stars adhere to traditional codes of red-carpet attire by selecting tuxedos and evening gowns, others inject fresh energy into black-tie dressing through bold sartorial choices that generate as much conversation as the awards themselves.
Teyana Taylor, Timothée Chalamet, and Emma Stone rank among the fashionable actors nominated for Academy Awards this year. With established track records of red carpet risk-taking, these performers are guaranteed to enliven the carpet through unexpected style choices that transcend conventional Hollywood glamour formulas.
Chalamet famously wore a Givenchy by Sarah Burton butter yellow leather suit to the 2025 Oscar ceremony—a daring departure from standard black tuxedos that generated immediate social media frenzy and cemented his reputation as someone willing to experiment with gender-fluid fashion sensibilities that challenge rigid masculine dress codes.
Each red carpet leading up to the Oscars has functioned as Taylor’s personal runway. Nominated for best supporting actress, Taylor has emerged as a style icon whose choices merit close attention. At the Golden Globes, she showcased a jeweled bow whale tail on the back of her custom Schiaparelli draped black gown—a provocative design detail that sparked both admiration and controversy. Taylor delivered another showstopping look at the Actor Awards when she wore a Thom Browne dress with a bodice designed to resemble a painting of the female form, blurring boundaries between fashion and fine art.
The Oscars possess unique potential to catapult an actor’s career into another stratosphere of star status, transforming talented performers into household names whose future projects command premium compensation and prestigious opportunities. With that magnitude in mind, some actors choose to play conservatively on the carpet, arriving in old Hollywood glamour instead of edgy or dramatic looks while reserving more risqué ensembles for after-parties where photographers are less omnipresent.
Luxury fashion houses from Armani, Dior, Valentino, Prada to Chanel dominate the Oscars red carpet annually. Celebrities rarely wear independent designers on the carpet as many household names operate under contracts as brand ambassadors with these major brands, limiting their sartorial freedom while guaranteeing access to couture creations worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Frankenstein actor Mia Goth, for instance, was named a Dior brand ambassador last year and wore a black Dior gown to the Golden Globes—a partnership arrangement typical in contemporary celebrity culture where fashion houses provide wardrobes in exchange for publicity and endorsement value.
Oscar attendees sometimes make more than fashion statements, however. Actors have employed political messaging through accessories, with “ICE OUT” or “BE GOOD” pins appearing at several red carpets this award season in response to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Other stars have demonstrated solidarity by wearing red pins calling for ceasefire in Gaza.
As the Iran war continues escalating, the carpet could witness more celebrities utilizing their moments to address the latest global turmoil, though such political statements risk alienating portions of audiences who prefer entertainment awards remain apolitical forums celebrating artistic achievement rather than platforms for activist messaging.
The Oscars ceremony will commence at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with the red carpet opening around 3:30 p.m. EST to accommodate East Coast television audiences and provide several hours of pre-show coverage that has become nearly as essential to the event as the awards themselves.
According to the Associated Press, the 98th Academy Awards gained unexpected suspense following late-game surprises at the Actor Awards that disrupted what had appeared to be predictable outcomes in major categories. As film academy members completed their ballots before Thursday’s 8 p.m. Eastern deadline, AP film writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle offered final predictions for top awards.
In the best picture category, “One Battle After Another” had been coasting as the clear frontrunner, winning top prizes at the Producers Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes—until Sunday’s Actor Awards where “Sinners” captured best ensemble, injecting uncertainty into what had seemed a foregone conclusion.
“Suddenly, the Oscars don’t seem so buttoned up after all. I still think it’s going to be ‘One Battle After Another,’ though,” Bahr predicted, noting that the Producers Guild Awards represent a slightly better predictor than the Actor Awards, which have diverged from the eventual best picture winner five times in the past decade. “Either way, it’ll be a win for theatrical moviegoing and Warner Bros., no matter how uncertain their futures may be.”
Coyle acknowledged the two-horse race between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners,” observing that Michael B. Jordan’s individual win at the Actor Awards provides momentum for “Sinners” arriving at precisely the right moment as Oscar voters submitted ballots. “So I think ‘Sinners’ has an excellent chance of pulling off the upset. But ultimately I think ‘One Battle After Another’ wins. It has the more meaningful precursors and feels powerfully of the moment.”
In the best actress category, both critics agreed that Jessie Buckley would claim her first Oscar for “Hamnet” in what Coyle characterized as “the easiest call of the night.” While praising Buckley’s excellent performance, Coyle suggested the award represents recognition for “one of the most talented and natural actors of a generation” whose career trajectory since emerging in 2019’s “Wild Rose” pointed inevitably toward this moment.
The best actor race appears more uncertain. Chalamet seemed poised to win after losing last year, but Jordan’s heartfelt Actor Awards speech potentially shifted momentum in his direction. “It will be an interesting case study in campaigning if Jordan ends up taking the statue, which I think he will,” Bahr predicted, noting that none of the choices would constitute a wrong selection.
Coyle concurred that Jordan would prevail despite historical precedent—it has been 22 years since a best actor winner didn’t claim either BAFTA or Actor Award victories. “Jordan is going to win, and I think it will be a highlight of the night. Unlike others in this category, Jordan has really been under-honored. This is his first Oscar nomination.”
In best supporting actress, three nominees have notable wins: Amy Madigan with the Actor Award, Wunmi Mosaku at BAFTAs, and Teyana Taylor at the Globes. Coyle predicted an upset with Taylor prevailing despite Madigan’s apparent edge, arguing that being “such a key part of what I think will be the best picture winner will carry Taylor to the upset.”
Best supporting actor appears destined for Sean Penn, who won at both BAFTAs and the Actor Awards despite possessing two previous Oscars while competitor Delroy Lindo has none. However, Coyle raised the intriguing possibility that Penn might not attend the ceremony, having skipped the Oscar nominee luncheon and most ceremonies thus far. “It’s been a while since we had an absent winner. Remember Anthony Hopkins in the COVID Oscars?”
Paul Thomas Anderson appears certain to claim best director for “One Battle After Another” after winning at the Directors Guild Awards and benefiting from industrywide consensus that he’s overdue for recognition. Anderson has never won an Oscar despite multiple nominations across his distinguished career.
In best documentary feature, Bahr predicted the prize might shift from internationally focused films addressing major global issues to domestic concerns, specifically “The Perfect Neighbor”—a riveting examination of Florida’s “stand your ground” laws that gained wide viewership through its Netflix platform.
As the red carpet unfolds Sunday afternoon and nominees arrive in their carefully selected ensembles, the convergence of fashion spectacle and artistic recognition will create the annual cultural phenomenon that only the Academy Awards can generate—a moment when global attention focuses on Los Angeles as Hollywood celebrates its most accomplished work while simultaneously revealing which performers possess the style sensibility to transcend their on-screen achievements through sartorial daring.
Whether the night produces upset victories or confirms frontrunner expectations, the 98th Academy Awards will conclude another award season that has provided both artistic excellence and the unpredictable drama that makes Oscar night appointment television for millions worldwide who tune in to witness both who wins and what they’re wearing when they do.
