The 97th Academy Awards mark the end of award season, and this year's ceremony is fast approaching. The Oscars, hosted this year by Conan O'Brien, will air live on Sunday, March 2 from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and while you can watch them on ABC or stream them on Hulu (for the first time ever), there's another way you can tune in to Hollywood's most glamorous night, with the help of a VPN. Oh, and if you haven't yet watched all of this year's Best Picture nominees –Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance and Wicked – here's a quick primer on where you can watch them all.
Here's everything you need to know about this year's Academy Awards, including how to watch from anywhere with the help of a VPN.
When are the 2025 Academy Awards?
The 97th Academy Awards will air live on Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. ET. Live red carpet coverage will start at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on ABC, streaming live via OnTheRedCarpet.com and the On the Red Carpet Facebook and YouTube pages.
What channel are The Academy Awards on?
The 97th Academy Awards will air on ABC, which you may have access to through cable or a live TV antenna. This year, you can also stream the awards live on regular Hulu — not just Hulu’s live TV tier. So if you don’t currently have access to ABC, all you need is a $10/month ad-supported Hulu subscription to access the 2025 Oscars live stream.
How to watch the 2025 Oscars with a VPN
If you want to watch this year's Oscars without cable or a Hulu subscription, you can do just that with the help of a VPN. By using a VPN with a location set to a different country, such as Australia, viewers in the U.S. can tune in to the broadcast for free on 7Plus. You can also catch the show on ITVX out of the U.K. Simply change your location settings accordingly and tune in to either channel from anywhere.
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A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to overseas broadcasts, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
ExpressVPN offers “internet without borders,” meaning you can watch the 97th Academy Awards by tuning into a free international broadcast of the show. The ceremony will be airing for free in Australia (via 7Plus), and the UK (via ITVX) which means all you'll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location to one in Australia or the UK, and log in to one of those respective channels.
Once the Oscars are over, you can explore a wide range of global viewing options, including free coverage of the National Rugby League, all of the ITV on-demand library and more.
ExpressVPN’s added protection, speed and range of location options makes it an excellent choice for first-time VPN users looking to stretch their streaming abilities, plus, it's Engadget's top pick for the best streaming VPN. New users can save 49% when they sign up for ExpressVPN’s 12-month subscription. Plus, the service offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you're nervous about trying a VPN.
Who is presenting at the 2025 Oscars?
Conan O'Brien will host the 2025 Oscars. Presenters this year include Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr. and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Joe Alwyn, Ana de Armas, Halle Berry, Sterling K. Brown, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Lily-Rose Depp, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Connie Nielsen, Amy Poehler, June Squibb, Ben Stiller, Oprah Winfrey and Bowen Yang.
2025 Oscars performers:
Confirmed Oscars performers this year include Wicked co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, as well as Doja Cat, Lisa of Blackpink, Queen Latifah and Raye, and a special performance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Oscars nominations 2025:
Best Picture
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Best Director
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Best Actor
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Best Supporting Actor
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Best Supporting Actress
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Writing (Original Screenplay)
The Brutalist
A Real Pain
September 5
The Substance
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
A Complete Unknown
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Animated Feature Film
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Production Design
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Costume Design
A Complete Unknown
Gladiator II
Cinematography
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Film Editing
The Brutalist
Emilia Pérez
Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
The Substance
Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
The Wild Robot
Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Music (Original Song)
"El Mal" from Emilia Pérez
"The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight
"Like A Bird" from Sing Sing
"Mi Camino" from Emilia Pérez
"Never Too Late" from Elton John: Never Too Late
Music (Original Score)
The Brutalist
Emilia Pérez
The Wild Robot
Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
International Feature Film
I'm Still Here (Brazil)
The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)
Emilia Pérez (France)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Flow (Latvia)
Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Documentary Short Film
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Live Action Short Film
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
