Inarritu and Lubezki Win First Special Oscar Since 1995

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

While many are still trying to predict who is going to even be nominated at next year's ceremony, The Academy has already given out one award. No, it isn't a mistake on par with the infamous La La Land Best Picture win. It's for real. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki will be receiving a Special Oscar win at the upcoming Governors Ball for their work on the virtual reality project CARNE y ARENA. How much of a big deal is this award? Well, Inarritu and Lubezki are the first Special Oscar winners in 22 years. It's a pretty big deal for the team behind Birdman and The Revenant, and their latest venture into virtual reality has paid off nicely.

Oscars to Try New Approach to Announcing Nominees

Cheryl Boone Isaacs

It was a year ago today that the 2016 Academy Award nominations were announced. While this year is running a little bit behind schedule (we still have 10 days to go), there's still plenty to look forward to when Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs and a selected group introduce each of the categories that will define conversation for the upcoming weeks. While Oscar fans likely know what to expect, there's going to be one twist this year. It won't exactly be live, nor presented in the format that we've come to expect. That's right, things are going to be a little bit different, and they won't be presented live before a press audience. They will be presented digitally.