Nicole Kidman arrives at the Oscars. Looking on in background is husband Keith Urban. Photo / AP
Nicole Kidman arrives at the Oscars. Looking on in background is husband Keith Urban. Photo / AP
The 94th Academy Awards are here and ready to celebrate all the greatest films of the past year and those who made them so special.
The glitz and glam that was missing from the ceremony for the past two years is back in full force, with the red carpet justheating up and the biggest names in Hollywood set to grace it.
Follow our live blog for all the biggest arrivals and the awards as they happen.
Pre-show hosts Laverne Cox and Vanessa Hudgens are among the early arrivals on the carpet, both chic in black with the addition of sparkles and volume to remind us of their star statuses.
Laverne Cox and Vanessa Hudgens at the Oscars 2022. Photos / Getty Images
More stars including one of the youngest, Belfast star Jude Hill, are making their way down the red carpet.
Tracey Ellis, Jude Hill and Lily James. Photos / Getty Images
This year's red carpet is revealing a trend for men in colour as the likes of Power of The Dog's Kodi Smit-McPhee and action star Wesley Snipes arrive in head-to-toe shades of powder blue and plum.
Kodi Smit-McPhee and Wesley Snipes at the Oscars 2022. Photos / Getty Images
Big names are now arriving on the carpet, among them Venus Williams - in support of King Richard, the sports biopic about her father - and Nicole Kidman who has just shared in an interview she's known New Zealand's Jane Campion since Kidman was 14.
Venus Williams and Nicole Kidman. Photos / Getty Images
Politics in fashion
The awards are already becoming a platform for political commentary. While Sean Penn has declared on Twitter he will destroy his Academy Award if President Zelenskyy isn't allowed to speak during the broadcast, Jason Mamoa, Jamie Lee Curtis and South Korean actress Yoon Yeo-Jeong are sporting yellow and blue elements in support of Ukrainian refugees.
Jane Campion's western The Power of the Dog is heading into the show with the most nominations at 12.
Bookmakers are broadly in agreement that The Power of Dog is favourite to take Best Picture, although CODA is also being tipped for a surprise win.
Benedict Cumberbatch is in the running for best actor for The Power of the Dog, however, Will Smith is being overwhelmingly backed to take Best Actor for King Richard.
Olivia Colman, who won the best actress Oscar in 2019 for her role in The Favourite, landed her second nomination in that category for her role in The Lost Daughter.
But critics suggest it's The Eyes of Tammy Faye's Jessica Chastain who looks most likely to be named Best Actress.
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Dame Jane Campion's feature film the Power of the Dog seemed to be charging toward Oscars glory this afternoon until her comments at the Critics' Choice Awards attracted headlines for the wrong reasons.
Dame Jane Campion on the Oscars red carpet. Photo / Getty Images
Campion was criticised heavily across mainstream and social media for an award acceptance speech, in which she referred to Venus and Serena Williams, saying: "You are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys like I have to."
Campion did end up apologising for those comments, but the question remains of how likely they are to still have an impact on who wins the biggest awards on the night.
