War of words: who is winning the Oscar for best acceptance speech?
This season’s awards circuit has seen Demi Moore and Sean Baker praised for their speeches, but how much does that contribute to the big win?
Winning an Oscar for acting has never looked particularly easy, even if certain types of performances – physical transformations, celebrity impressions – always seem to maintain an edge over others. One major factor contributing to the Oscar’s degree of difficulty is that the job doesn’t end when the movie does. There’s a whole season of awards campaigning requiring a different sort of performance – the equivalent of being thrown into an overtime that lasts far longer than the actual on-field game play. If awards season had a playbook for how to win this endless overtime, it would probably focus on acceptance speeches.
There’s no better example than Demi Moore’s bonus-round performance at this year’s Golden Globes. As an awards body, the Globes are a longtime joke – a recently rebooted organization that can never claim any voting-body overlap with the Academy, and usually simply does their best to guess Oscar winners ahead of time, so they can continue to appear prescient and therefore important. But one way the Globes really can influence the real awards is by serving as a high-profile dress rehearsal where potential winners can try out their live-TV persona. (That’s the true utility of their oft-nonsensical division into “Drama” and “Comedy or Musical” categories for the lead acting awards; twice the number of practice speeches on offer!)
Continue reading...-
Trump and Zelensky’s war of words
The US and Ukrainian presidents get into a public row.BBC News - 1d -
Trump calls Zelenskyy a ‘dictator’ in growing war of words
Even as the White House pushes to end the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing him as a "dictator." NBC’s Richard Engel ...NBC News - 1d -
Oscars 2025: best actor nominees – awards, interviews and what their chances are
What to know about the actors nominated for the Academy Awards’ biggest acting prize, along with the Guardian’s reviews and interviews. Full list of nominations Want more? Our guide to the ...The Guardian - 9h -
As Israel uses US-made AI models in war, concerns arise about tech’s role in who lives and who dies
U.S. tech giants have quietly empowered Israel to track and kill many more alleged militants more quickly in Gaza and Lebanon through a sharp spike in artificial intelligence and computing servicesABC News - 3d -
If we want to win the 5G war with China, we need to fully embrace American capitalism
The race to dominate 5G technology is a decisive battle for economic supremacy in the 21st century. Unfortunately, the U.S. has fallen behind.The Hill - 1h -
Britain is struggling to accept the end of Atlanticism
The ‘special relationship’ has underpinned the UK’s security since the Suez Canal debacle — but the world has changedFinancial Times - 2h -
2025 Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta odds, NASCAR predictions: Best bets by expert who hit 17 winners last year
SportsLine's Steven Taranto, who nailed William Byron's Daytona 500 win at 16-1 last year, reveals his picks for the 2025 Ambetter Health 400 from Atlanta Motor SpeedwayCBS Sports - 3h -
An alternative take on Trump’s favourite word
Seen from a different angle, would the US president still choose tariffs?Financial Times - 13h -
‘I feel like I’ve opened a hornet’s nest’: My mother-in-law lists my husband as beneficiary on her $1 million IRA. But her will says otherwise. Who wins?
“All of this is causing a lot of turmoil in the family. Does her will trump the IRA beneficiary?”MarketWatch - 3h -
Meta’s ‘free speech’ revamp divides oversight board
Independent body searches for ways to hold social media group to account over content moderation and hate speech changesFinancial Times - 13h
More from The Guardian
-
Middle East crisis live: Israel claims Hamas killed Bibas children with their ‘bare hands’
Statement from IDF spokesman contradicts Hamas claim the family was killed in an airstrike. One of the four bodies returned by Hamas to Israel on Thursday is not that of Shiri Bibas, Israel’s ...The Guardian - 4m -
French far-right leader cancels CPAC speech over Steve Bannon’s ‘Nazi’ salute
Jordan Bardella calls off US address after former Trump aide makes controversial gesture with outstretched arm onstage. The French far-right leader Jordan Bardella on Friday morning cancelled a ...The Guardian - 1h -
Trump says he ‘had very good talks with Putin’ and again criticizes Ukraine – live
US president also accuses Kyiv of talking ‘tough’ but having few bargaining chips in latest remarks in feud with Ukrainian president Zelenskyy. National security adviser Mike Waltz told a crowd ...The Guardian - 25m -
Woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann charged with stalking
Julia Wandel allegedly sent letters, calls, WhatsApps and visited family of missing girl . A woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann has been remanded in custody after being charged with stalking ...The Guardian - 3h -
Apple removes advanced data protection tool in face of UK government request
Apple says removal of tool after government asked for right to see data will make iCloud users more vulnerable. Business live – latest updates Apple has taken the unprecedented step of ...The Guardian - 36m
More in World
-
Middle East crisis live: Israel claims Hamas killed Bibas children with their ‘bare hands’
Statement from IDF spokesman contradicts Hamas claim the family was killed in an airstrike. One of the four bodies returned by Hamas to Israel on Thursday is not that of Shiri Bibas, Israel’s ...The Guardian - 4m -
Trump says he ‘had very good talks with Putin’ and again criticizes Ukraine – live
US president also accuses Kyiv of talking ‘tough’ but having few bargaining chips in latest remarks in feud with Ukrainian president Zelenskyy. National security adviser Mike Waltz told a crowd ...The Guardian - 25m -
South Carolina man to be killed in US’s first firing squad execution in 15 years
Brad Sigmon, 67, chooses to be shot dead amid concerns that lethal injections have caused ‘excruciating’ pain. A South Carolina man on death row has chosen to be killed by firing squad, and if ...The Guardian - 27m -
European draws and Pep Guardiola on Haaland injury – live football news
Liverpool meet Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League, while Arsenal could face Real Madrid in the quarter-final. A video explains just how the draw works. I was confused ...The Guardian - 32m -
Apple removes advanced data protection tool in face of UK government request
Apple says removal of tool after government asked for right to see data will make iCloud users more vulnerable. Business live – latest updates Apple has taken the unprecedented step of ...The Guardian - 36m