The 2025 Oscar Nominees Class Photo: A Star-Studded Gathering Before the Big Night

With just five days to go before the 97th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosted a special Oscar Nominees Dinner at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. This event replaced the traditional Oscar Nominees Luncheon, which was cancelled due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

A highlight of the night was the long-awaited Oscar class photo, a rare moment capturing the industry’s biggest stars together in one frame. 172 nominees attended, including Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), Demi Moore (The Substance), Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two), and Brandi Carlile (Never Too Late). However, notable absentees included Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), and Guy Pearce (The Brutalist).

The star-studded snapshot, taken inside the David Geffen Theater, featured Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (Team Wicked) in the front row, while Adrien Brody, Colman Domingo, and Sebastian Stan sat together at the center back. Timothée Chalamet stood on the far left, a row behind Sean Baker and Samantha Quan from Anora and a couple of spots in front of Ralph Fiennes.

The event began with a pre-dinner reception, followed by the class photo and dinner, marking one of the final celebrations before the Oscars. The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will take place on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, airing live on ABC and Hulu.

This year’s nominees luncheon was originally scheduled for February 10 but was cancelled in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires devastated the Pacific Palisades and Alhambra neighbourhoods. It caused several delays in the Oscars timeline, including pushing the nominations voting period and nominees announcement, the latter of which finally took place January 23.