Al Thaqafeyah Appointed Exclusive MENA Broadcaster For 96th Oscars®

Al Thaqafeyah, the premier Saudi cultural channel, has been appointed exclusive Middle East and North Africa (MENA) broadcaster for the upcoming 96th Oscars®.

Presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at Hollywood's iconic Dolby® Theatre this March, the 96th Oscars is set to honour and celebrate the very best in film from 2023, highlighting top achievements in categories including acting, music, production design, and directing.

The 96th Oscars will broadcast LIVE on Al Thaqafeyah on Sunday 10 March from 11:30pm KSA.

Returning as host for the fourth time is US television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel, with show production led by Raj Kapoor, Molly McNearney, and Katy Mullan.

Topping this year's nominations is the critically acclaimed 'Oppenheimer' with a total of 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Directing for Christopher Nolan, and three acting nominations. Following closely is 'Poor Things' with 11 nominations, and 'Killers of the Flower Moon' with 10 nods.

The Best Picture category is rounded out with other notable productions, including 'American Fiction', 'Anatomy of a Fall', 'Barbie', 'The Holdovers', 'Maestro', 'Past Lives', and 'The Zone of Interest'.

Film fans will also have a few groundbreaking moments to look forward to during the 96th Oscars. For example, Lily Gladstone's Actress in a Leading Role nomination for 'Killers of the Flower Moon' makes her the first Indigenous American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award. Meanwhile, Martin Scorsese, at age 81, enjoys his tenth nomination for Directing for the same film.

Composer John Williams extends his record for the most Oscar nominations by a living person with his 54th nomination at age 91, while ten actors are celebrating their very first Academy Award nominations, including Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks, and Jeffrey Wright.

Additionally, the upcoming 96th Oscars marks the first time three female directors have seen their films nominated for Best Picture in the same year.

Al Thaqafeyah's exclusive broadcast of the 2024 Oscars across MENA will allow audiences from the region to experience all the glitz and glamour live of one of the film industry’s most anticipated nights from the comfort of their living room. Viewers can tune into Al Thaqafeyah via free-to-air television and online through Shahid, the world’s leading Arabic streaming platform by MBC GROUP.