Hollywood is readying itself for the film industry’s biggest night, with the Oscars taking place on Monday (AEDT).

Behind every great awards ceremony is a great goodie bag, and the Academy Awards 2026 ‘swag bags’ are no exception, valued at an estimated $AU490,000 each.

The goodie bags, which are gifted to all Oscar nominees, are curated by LA-based company Distinctive Assets. The entertainment and marketing firm said its 2026 swag bag includes everything from “a waitlisted facial” to skincare products, designer luggage, “a private luxury villa in Costa Rica,” an interior design package worth $150,000, and more.

We’ve got everything you actually need to know about this year’s ceremony covered in today’s 2-minute section.

“Don't call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/ misogynistic/ ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind. None of us need your hateful ‘love’.”
Heated Rivalry actors Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander) and François Arnaud (Scott Hunter) have shared a joint statement on their Instagram stories, criticising so-called ‘fans’ of the show for spreading abuse online.

25 million hours.
Love Story has set a new streaming record for production company FX, with its first five episodes notching up 1.5 billion minutes of viewing across streaming platforms Hulu and Disney+. The series, from executive producer Ryan Murphy, is based on the relationship and tragic fate of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.

It’s not every day Kylie Minogue and Margot Robbie (with a new haircut) are spotted in the same room, so you’re getting a two-for-one photo of the week today. The Aussie icons were among a star-studded front row lineup for Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week show. Other attendees included Oprah (below), Olivia Dean, Lily-Rose Depp, and Teyana Taylor.

It was just a few years ago when we all felt the collective despair of Taylor Swift fans as they faced the impossible task of securing tickets to the Eras Tour.

In the U.S, the Swifties’ plight prompted a government response in 2024, when dozens of states banded together to sue Live Nation (the parent company of Ticketmaster) for anti-competitive behaviour, including setting unfair ticket prices.

Cut to this week, and Live Nation has struck a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) to resolve the sweeping antitrust lawsuit against them… but not everyone is happy with the outcome.

So how did we get here, and what happens next?

Live Nation is a titan of the live entertainment world. In 2025 alone, it drew 159 million attendees across more than 55,000 events. Beyond concert promotion, Live Nation holds stakes in 460 venues and has controlled Ticketmaster, the world's leading ticket seller, since 2010.

The DoJ estimates Live Nation oversees about 80% of ticketing at major concerts across the U.S. That concentration of power became the crux of a legal battle, launched in May 2024 by the DoJ alongside Attorneys-General from across the U.S, eventually drawing in 40 states in total.

The lawsuit accused Live Nation of building and maintaining an illegal monopoly over live events through its control of ticketing, venues, and promotion — stifling innovation and competition, while driving up prices for fans.

At the time, Live Nation rejected the DoJ’s claims as “baseless” and said it would contest the lawsuit.

The trial kicked off last week but ended almost immediately when both sides struck a deal.

Under the settlement, Live Nation must open Ticketmaster's back-end technology to rivals, cap service fees (which had jumped as high as 31%) at 15%, and pay $US280 million ($AU390m) in fines to states involved in the lawsuit.

The company would also have to relinquish exclusive booking agreements tied to up to 13 of its amphitheatres, though it may continue to own and operate them.

Critically, though, Live Nation would not have to sell Ticketmaster, which was the initial goal of the lawsuit.

The deal has drawn immediate criticism, with industry experts noting that $280 million amounts to roughly four days of Live Nation's 2025 revenue.

The judge overseeing the case, Hon. Arun Subramanian, said the settlement showed “absolute disrespect for the court, the jury and this entire process”.

At least 26 states, including New York, have refused to sign on to the deal and will continue pressing their claims at trial. It means the future of Live Nation’s U.S. business remains uncertain.

Live Nation, along with its subsidiary Ticketmaster, have rapidly expanded its presence across Australia’s live music industry over the past decade.

2024 modelling by Guardian Australia found that Ticketmaster was charging Australian concertgoers fees of as much as $21.73 on top of the ticket price — more than double independent sellers’ fees at the time.

Prime Minister Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers had previously announced plans to stop "dodgy" ticketing practices, with Albanese saying "hidden fees and traps are putting even more pressure on the cost of living."

Reporting by Elliot Lawry.

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Awards season will draw to a close with the 98th Academy Awards (aka ‘the Oscars’) on Monday (AEDT).

Officially voted on by the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the Oscars celebrate the best in film from the past year.

Sinners leads the pack with a record 16 nominations, while One Battle After Another is up for 13 awards.

Whether you’ll be at a watch party or catching up on the headlines during your lunch break, here’s your guide to Hollywood’s biggest night.

At its core, the Oscars is an industry awards ceremony, like the Logies or the Grammys. The awards are solely voted on by AMPAS members, who must be active workers in the U.S. film industry.

There are more than 10,000 people in AMPAS, from sound techs and makeup artists to A-list actors.

The Academy has diversified and almost doubled its membership over the past 14 years, after an LA Times exposé revealed its then-5,800 members were 94% white and 77% male with a median age of 62.

Inside the Academy, there are 19 branches representing the different jobs on a film set: actors, directors, producers, cinematographers, etc.

When it’s time to select the nominees in each category (five in each, except for Best Picture with 10 slots), only the members of each individual branch can vote for their relevant category. For example, directors vote to choose the nominees for Best Director, actors for the acting categories, makeup artists for makeup, and so on.

To be eligible for nomination in most categories, a film must have played for at least a week in a cinema in a major U.S. city in the calendar year before the ceremony.

For the 2026 Oscars, that means any film that premiered on or after New Year's Day 2025 is eligible. Anything released in 2026 will be eligible for next year’s awards. So while Margot Robbie may attend the ceremony and walk the red carpet this year, her performance in Wuthering Heights - released in February - is only eligible for nomination at the 2027 Oscars.

After the nominees are selected, the winners are determined through a second round of voting. This time, every member of the Academy gets a say in every category. There are exceptions in the documentary, international film, and short film categories, where members must watch every film to be able to vote.

There are four Australians nominated for an Oscar this year.

Rose Byrne is up for Best Actress for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The performance earned the Sydney-born actor a Golden Globe earlier this year.

Fellow Australian Jacob Elordi is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Frankenstein’s monster in Frankenstein.

Nick Cave is nominated for Best Original Song for his work on Train Dreams, while Hamnet production designer Fiona Crombie rounds out the local nominees.

Vampire thriller Sinners is predicted to win in several categories, including Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan) and Best Original Screenplay.

Timothée Chalamet was an early favourite for Best Actor for his performance in Marty Supreme. However, Jordan’s upset win at the recent Actor Awards (formerly SAG) flipped the odds during the last week of Oscar voting.

The only sure things going into the 98th Oscars are the inescapable earworm Golden from KPop Demon Hunters for Best Song, and Jessie Buckley in Best Actress for Hamnet.

Here are some fun facts you can bust out at a viewing party (or that might come up at pub trivia next week):

Australian viewers can watch the Oscars on Channel 7 or stream live on 7plus this Monday at 10am AEDT (or 4pm local LA time).

The ceremony’s earlier-than-usual start time means guests will be arriving at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre during most of our morning commutes. You can watch the official Oscars Red Carpet Live Show on 7 at 9:30am.

Reporting by Lucy Tassell.