As protests swirl, Oscars have feel of high-stakes showdown

The best picture victor at the PGAs has gone on win the same award at the Oscars every year for the past eight years.

Over the course of his acting career, Leonardo DiCaprio has been nominated for five Oscars and has never won. The three major guild awards – the Screen Actors, the Directors and the Producers – have spread their top honors among three films seen as the front-runners: Alejandro Inarritu’s frontier epic “The Revenant”, Adam McKay’s financial meltdown tale “The Big Short” and Tom McCarthy’s newsroom drama “Spotlight”.

Although there is not enough time between now and the Chris Rock-hosted ceremony to begin; there is time for you to relive the highlights-the biggest and brightest moments-from nine decades’ of Academy Awards.

Kate Winslet will be hoping to continue her award season success and win best supporting actress for her role as Joanna Hoffman in Steve Jobs. And the 2002 victor for best actress, Halle Berry, has deemed it “heartbreaking” that “another woman of color has not walked through that door” for that specific honor since.

Brie Larson is up for best actress alongside Saoirse Ronan, Charlotte Rampling, previous winners Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence – the latter has already picked up a Golden Globe for her performance in Joy.

She is up against Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rooney Mara, Alicia Vikander and Rachel McAdams.

The 69-year-old has carved out a place for himself in the Hollywood pantheon, but even he wouldn’t deny that the shine on his crown has been fading recently, his best roles seemingly behind him.

The Grammy-winning singer won a Golden Globe for the track alongside his writing partner Jimmy Napes.

An unprecedented debate about race in the film industry was sparked after none of the nominees for the best actor and actress and best supporting actor and actress categories are from an ethnic minority.

Earlier this month, director Spike Lee – who was one of the first figures to speak publicly about the lack of diversity – said the boycott had been vindicated by the response from organisers. The Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 28.