Earlier, over lunch, Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor welcomed all the attendees, revealing that the 230 people gathered in the room represented 29 different countries, and that there were a record 76 women nominated this year. “What a year 2025 was,” Howell Taylor said in her opening remarks. “The world broke our hearts, but somehow every single nominee in this room found a way to use their art, their gifts, their tenacity, their bravery through their stories to inspire us and bring us together.”
With all the nominees in one place, Howell also seized the opportunity to share a few helpful tips on how nominees should prepare for their acceptance speech, should they be called to give one on March 15. The general gist: be prepared; keep it under 45 seconds; don’t put your speech on your phone; and, most importantly, “make it heartfelt. Be authentic.” She discouraged the nominees from listing a bunch of names, asking them instead to talk about the significance of the moment. “The fact is the majority of the show is you—it’s your speeches,” she said. “This is an entertainment show millions of people will be watching. So let’s make the most of it.”
