It's the biggest date in the cinema diary; here's how to avoid missing an Oscars live stream
Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock
Tonight's the night! If you have even the slightest interest in films, then the 91st Academy Awards are clearly going to be on your radar. And even if you're not a huge movie fan, if you have a foot in the design world then you're probably going to want to keep an eye on some of the award categories by getting an Oscars live stream..
Of the 24 little golden men up for grabs, there are a few categories that should be of interest to anyone with an eye for design or visual arts. The award we'll all be looking out for, naturally, is the Best Animated Feature Film, and this year it's a strong category.
While Pixar's Incredibles 2, Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs, Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet and Mamoru Hosoda's Mirai are all in the running, it looks like they have their work cut out against the brilliant Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. While there's no such thing as a dead cert when it comes to the Oscars, if the betting odds are anything to go by, then Spidey has this one sewn up.
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When's the Oscars 2019 on?
This year's Academy Awards ceremony takes place on Sunday 24 February at the Dolby Theatre, slap bang in the middle of Hollywood, Los Angeles. And while the ceremony itself kicks off a 5pm in LA (that's 8pm ET, 1am GMT and 12pm AEDT), before that there'll be all the traditional red carpet coverage, so be sure not to miss that if you need to know what clothes the celebrities are wearing.
You'll also want to keep an eye on the Best Animated Short Film category, where Pixar may well clean up with Bao, an adorable little short about a Chinese dumpling that comes to life. Other candidates for the Oscar are the Animal Behaviour from the National Board of Canada, Cartoon Saloon's Late Afternoon, One Small Step from a pair of ex-Disney artists, Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas, and there's another Pixar-related entry in the form of Weekends by Trevor Jimenez, who used to work there as a story artist.
Beyond the animation, we're sure you'll want to watch out for the awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Production Design, and there ought to be some great-looking threads on show when it comes to the award for Best Costume Design.
Whatever your reason for watching, though, you're going to want to make sure that you can enjoy the whole show without any unexpected difficulties. And while this should be plain sailing if you're watching a live broadcast on TV, if you plan to watch the 2019 Academy Awards online, then it won't hurt to be prepared for all eventualities. So here's our foolproof guide to getting a 91st Oscars live stream, wherever you might be in the world.
How to watch the 2019 Academy Awards from outside your country
If you're away from your country on Oscars night and don't want to miss out on the fun, you might have to jump through a few hoops if you want to watch on your laptop or mobile. If you try to watch through your usual streaming service, it'll almost certainly be geo-blocked, so it's best to have a VPN ready to go so that you can watch as if you were still at home.
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A VPN changes your IP address to that it appears that you're logging into your streaming service from a completely different location. If you don't have a VPN then they're easy to set up; read our guide to the best VPNs available right now, but if you're in a hurry then these are our top picks:
ExpressVPN
With over 1,800 servers across 148 locations, ExpressVPN is a great choice if you're looking for speed, security and ease of use. It supports just about every device you might have, and if you sign up now you can get your first three months for free.
TunnelBear
If you find the idea of setting up a VPN intimidating, TunnelBear's the choice for you; it'll help you set up in a matter of minutes and while its optons are limited compared to other services, it does the job well.
CyberGhost
For more advanced users, CyberGhost is probably the best option right now, giving you full control over all your configuration options.
How to live stream the Oscars in the USA
For viewers in the States, watching the 2019 Academy Awards couldn't be easier; simply tune into ABC, sit back and enjoy. But if you'd rather watch online, then things become a little more complicated.
The obvious option would seem to be to stream it on abc.com or through the network's app; however this is only available in Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and San Francisco, and you'll need your cable provider details.
Failing that, these online streaming services have ABC listed among their channels, and they all offer some kind of free trial; check that they're definitely showing the Oscars before you sign up, though.
DirecTV Now $55 per month - DirecTV Now also includes CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN.
PlayStation Vue From $45 per month and the ideal choice for PS4 owners thanks to its access to the likes of ESPN, NBC, Fox, Disney and other essential networks. For a bit more you can add the likes of Showtime and HBO, too.
YouTubeTV $40 per month – YouTubeTV also gives you access to Fox, NBC and ESPN.
How to stream the Oscars live in Canada
Watching the Academy Awards is almost as easy for Canadians as it is for Americans; it's being shown live on CTV. If you don't have a TV or would rather watch on your laptop or mobile, you can watch via the CTV website; you'll need to select your TV service provider and sign in with your CTV account.
How to watch the Oscars online in the UK for free
If you're a Sky subscriber in the UK then you'll have an easy time tuning into the 2019 Oscars; it's being shown live on the Sky Cinema Oscars channel or via Sky Go if you'd rather stream, starting at 10PM GMT with the red carpet coverage that'll go on until the main show starts at 1AM.
If you don't have a Sky subscription, that's not a problem. Just sign up instead for a Now TV Cinema Pass, which enables you to watch all of Sky's film channels for £9.99. Even better, if you've never signed up for Now TV before you can get a 14-day free trial and enjoy the Oscars without having to pay anything at all!
And remember: if you're going to be out of the country on Oscars night, simply download and install a VPN and you'll be good to go.
How to live stream the Oscars for free in Australia
Aussies get the best deal when it comes to the Oscars; not only do they avoid having to stay up half the night to watch the show, they can also watch it for free. This year's Academy Awards are being shown live on Channel 9 with the fun starting at 12pm AEDT.
If you're watching online then simply use the 9Now app to stream the action, and if you're likely to be on your travels then have a VPN installed and ready to go so you don't miss out.
Jim McCauley is a writer, performer and cat-wrangler who started writing professionally way back in 1995 on PC Format magazine, and has been covering technology-related subjects ever since, whether it's hardware, software or videogames. A chance call in 2005 led to Jim taking charge of Computer Arts' website and developing an interest in the world of graphic design, and eventually led to a move over to the freshly-launched Creative Bloq in 2012. Jim now works as a freelance writer for sites including Creative Bloq, T3 and PetsRadar, specialising in design, technology, wellness and cats, while doing the occasional pantomime and street performance in Bath and designing posters for a local drama group on the side.
