Move over Emmys, the Oscars are coming.
Starting with the 101st Academy Awards, which is already set to disrupt the usual order of things Oscar-wise with its move from ABC to YouTube, the ceremony and broadcast will also be coming from a new venue. Well not new exactly since it is the same place the Emmys have been mostly broadcasting from for the past few years.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and AEG on Thursday revealed a multiyear partnership that includes L.A. Live becoming the new home of the Oscars, beginning with the 101st ceremony in 2029 and continuing through 2039. The ceremony will be held in the venue currently known as Peacock Theater, which is the same space the Emmys and other events have been using in recent times.
The deal represents a move back to downtown Los Angeles for the Oscars ceremony, which took place at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for many years starting in 1969 and continuing until its move back to Hollywood to the then-named Kodak (now Dolby) Theatre in 2002.
Inside the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles
Courtesy L.A. Live
AEG owns and operates L.A. Live, the 23-acre, 4-million-square-foot sports and entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles adjacent to Crypto.com Arena.
As part of the new partnership, AEG will make upgrades to the Peacock’s stage, sound and lighting systems, lobbies, backstage facilities and additional production-critical areas. AEG will collaborate closely with the Academy to incorporate bespoke design elements needed to accommodate the Oscars ceremony.
Additionally, L.A. Live’s recently expanded plaza will host red carpet arrivals and activities, and the theater will be the first venue to host the Oscars when it becomes available on YouTube through an exclusive global rights deal with the Academy that also begins in 2029.
Carlo Allegri/Getty Images
“We are thrilled to partner with a global powerhouse like AEG. Their track record for building and operating technologically sophisticated live performance venues is unrivaled,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor. “For the 101st Oscars and beyond, the Academy looks forward to closely collaborating with AEG to make L.A. Live the perfect backdrop for our global celebration of cinema, both for our live in-theater audience and for film fans around the world.”
“L.A. Live was built to host the moments that define culture, and there is no greater global stage than the Oscars,” said Todd Goldstein, Chief Revenue Officer, AEG. “We’re proud to partner with the Academy to reimagine what the Oscars can look and feel like in the years ahead. Together, we will create an environment that celebrates creativity, honors excellence, and delivers an unforgettable experience for movie fans everywhere.”
Since the opening of Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) in 1999 and L.A. Live in 2007, the collection of venues, hotels (including the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott), restaurants, clubs and numerous hospitality spaces have hosted thousands of sports and entertainment events.
The Oscars will continue to be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide through the 100th Oscars in 2028.