ONE SURPRISE AFTER ANOTHER?

OSCARS NIGHT SET TO BE UNPREDICTABLE

- STORY: PAULA RAMON / AFP

(PHOTO © 2021 THE NEW YORK TIMES)

ith Sinners and One Battle After Another neckand-neck for best picture and several acting races far too close to call, today's Oscars gala is shaping up to be the most unpredictable in years.

A Hollywood ceremony set to feature music from KPop Demon Hunters and Conan O’Brien as host will feature several nail-biting reveals, culminating in the announcement of the year's best film, which remains anyone's guess.

Until "the final envelope is opened for best picture, we're not going to know who's going to win", said Variety's awards columnist Clayton Davis.

"Both have a huge opportunity in order to break multiple Oscar records," he said.

Sinners, a smash-hit vampire period horror film from director Ryan Coogler, has already made Academy Awards history with its whopping 16 nominations.

The blues-inflected race allegory has a chance to chase down the most Oscar wins by a single movie, shared at 11 between Ben-Hur, Titanic and The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King.

Coogler, previously best known for Black Panther, could become the first ever black person to win best director, in the 98 years of Oscars history.