Oscars 2021, delayed by two months,
will finally commence on Sunday, adjusting itself to COVID-19 appropriate settings
and formats, and celebrating the best Hollywood has to offer.

One venue, among several,
for the events has been chosen to be Los Angeles’ Union Station, while others
include a Hollywood theatre, where honorary prizes and musical performances will
be conducted, and European ‘hubs’ in London and Paris which would host Europeans
unable to travel to the United States, reported AFP.

The awards, however, will be given out
only in the station, and Nomadland in particular is reportedly being considered
a favourite for the night, aiming to scoop up several awards, including best
picture.

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“I can’t imagine that
‘Nomadland’ does not win the big prize. I can’t imagine that Chloe Zhao doesn’t
win for director,” Marc Malkin, a journalist for Variety, was quoted by
AFP as saying.

Describing Nomadland director Chole Zhao
as a “local lock”, Deadline awards columnist Pete Hammond was quoted by AFP as
saying that “they’re going to vote for her even if they haven’t seen the movie”.

Zhao and her film have largely
dominated the awards season this year, picking up awards in Golden Globe, BAFTA
and having picked up six Academy Awards nominations in 2021. Apart from this,
the movie also won accolades at the Independent Spirit Awards and Critic’s Choice
Awards this year.

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The plot of the film takes the
audience through lives of older Americans roaming the Wild West after losing
their possessions through a economic downturn.

Another strong contender in the
Oscars is The Trial of the Chicago 7, which bagged the top prize from the
Hollywood actors guild this year.