They say you never forget your first—time at the Oscars, that is. While it’s an honor just to be nominated, as the Oscars 2025 nominees well know, attending the ceremony itself is also quite the experience. For some, it’s once in a lifetime, but for a select group of hardworking film pros, it’s more like once a year-ish.
Ariana Grande, nominated for best supporting actress for her performance in Wicked, went to the show for the first time just last year, in 2024, already getting in touch with her good witch via a Glinda-pink custom Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown. Fellow first-time nominee Demi Moore, recognized for her unforgettable work in The Substance, however, has been to many, many Academy Awards ceremonies as an attendee, the first one in 1989. Times may change, but the Oscars are eternal.
From Colman Domingo’s showstopping hot pink ensemble at his first Oscars in 2021, to Jesse Eisenberg’s 2011 Oscars debut, here’s what some of this year’s Oscar nominees wore for their first time at the Academy Awards.
