Oscars 2022: Academy Awards start time, Philly nominees, how to watch and stream

Hollywood’s biggest night has officially arrived in the form of the 94th Academy Awards, and Philadelphia is well-represented among the nominees.

This year marks something of a return to form for the long-running awards ceremony, which will be broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater. Last year’s event was a little smaller, coming to us from Union Station in Los Angeles, and lacked formerly familiar elements like montages and musical performances. And for the past three years, the Oscars hasn’t had an official host — but in 2022 they’re making up for it with three.

Taking up hosting duties this year are actress Regina Hall, comedian Amy Schumer, and Media’s own Wanda Sykes. With the trio sharing hosting duties, the 94th Academy Awards will serve as the first time the show has had three women as hosts.

Another big change for 2022 is the awards for eight categories — including best documentary short (featuring local nominee Elizabeth Mirzaei’s Three Songs for Benazir), best film editing, and best original music score — will be recorded before the show, and later edited into the broadcast. The decision has drawn criticism from high-profile stars including director Steven Spielberg, who recently told Deadline that “we should all have a seat at the supper table.”

So, whether you’re cozying up at home for a glamorous night in, or hosting your own Academy Awards soirée, here’s what you need to know about the 2022 Oscars, from where to watch and stream it, to which Philly folks have been nominated (and how to watch their projects, too).

This year’s Oscars ceremony takes place on Sunday, March 27, and begins airing at 8 p.m. on ABC. But if you want some preshow programming, ABC will start its broadcast from the red carpet at 6:30 p.m. The show itself should last around three hours.

ABC will be airing the ceremony. You can also stream the 2022 Oscars on the network’s website, or through the ABC app — but you will need to log in via your cable provider.

But if you don’t have cable, you’re not totally out of luck. There are a number of subscription services streaming the ceremony, including:

While those streaming services ordinarily require a paid subscription, you may be able to snag a free trial ahead of the show.

This year’s Oscar nominees were announced in early February, and several people on the list have ties to the Philadelphia region.

Up first is West Philly’s own Will Smith, who received a best actor nom for his role as Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena, in King Richard. Overall, the film itself received six Oscar nominations, including one for best picture — which, if it wins, would also technically be a win for Smith, who served as one of the film’s producers.

» READ MORE: Will Smith enters new phase of life. And he’s doing it big Philly style.

Fellow West Philly native Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is also up for an award with his first-ever Oscar nomination for his directorial debut, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). The film, which details the impact of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, is up for best documentary feature. For Eagles fans, owner Jeffrey Lurie served as an executive producer on the film.

» READ MORE: Questlove on Black joy and bringing erased history back to life with ‘Summer of Soul’

Malvern native Adam McKay, meanwhile, is also nominated for a best picture award thanks to his dark comedy Don’t Look Up. The film, which McKay co-wrote alongside the Montgomery County-raised David Sirota, is also up for best original screenplay. Don’t Look Up, which tells the story of two astronomers trying to warn indifferent officials about Earth’s impending doom, earned four nominations overall.

» READ MORE: Raised in Malvern, Adam McKay keeps making us laugh from Hollywood

Sirota’s Abington little league teammate, Bradley Cooper, serves as the third Philly-area star with a best picture nom this year, this time for psychological thriller Nightmare Alley. Cooper, who also grew up in Montco, worked as a producer on the Guillermo Del Toro-directed movie, which itself has four nominations total.

Rounding out the list is filmmaker and Havertown native Mirzaei, whose Three Songs for Benazir is nominated for best documentary short. The film, which Mirzaei directed alongside husband Gulistan Mirzaei, follows a newlywed Afghan couple as they build their life together.

Multi-instrumentalist Adam Blackstone, best known as musical director for big names like Justin Timberlake and Nicki Minaj, will take the stage Sunday as part of an all-star band that includes blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, singer and percussionist Sheila E., and pianist Robert Glasper. Blackstone also serves as the Oscars’ music director, and is set to be featured throughout the broadcast.

» READ MORE: Philly’s Adam Blackstone will be leading an all-star band at the Oscars

A native of Trenton, Blackstone got started in music as a drummer at the city’s Old Bethel Baptist Church. Raised in Willingboro, he moved to Philadelphia in 2000 to attend the University of the Arts, where he studied music.

He’s worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna, and the Jonas Brothers, but Philadelphians will probably remember him from his role at Super Bowl LII in 2018, where the Eagles scored their lone Lombardi Trophy. There, he led a 15-piece band during Timberlake’s halftime show.

Currently, all the local nominees’ work are available to stream on various platforms. Here’s where to watch them:

Available to stream for free with a subscription via Disney+ and Hulu. Or, you can rent it on Prime or Vudu ($5.99).

Available to stream for free with a subscription on Netflix.

Available to stream for free with a subscription on HBO Max. Or, you can rent it on Prime, Vudu, or Google Play ($5.99).

Available to stream for free with a subscription on Netflix.

Available to stream for free with a subscription on HBO Max and Hulu.