This year's Academy Awards promises to be a rather unusual ceremony. Not only will it unfold nearly two months later than intended, but, owing to Covid-19, not every nominee will be able to attend in person.
On the bright side, however, there were also a number of unexpected nominations that makes this the most diverse Oscars yet.
This is the first year two women, in the shape of Nomadland's Chloe Zhao and Promising Young Woman's Emerald Fennell, have been nominated in the Best Director category. Minari's Steven Yeun is the first Asian-American to be nominated for Best Actor, while Riz Ahmed is the first Muslim.
It's also the first time since 1973 that two African-American actresses have been nominated for Best Actress, with Viola Davis of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Andra Day of The United States vs Billie Holiday receiving nods.
Whatever happens on Sunday, April 25, let’s hope there are plenty of surprises, as an underdog picking up an Academy Award instantly makes the ceremony more fascinating.
Need proof? Here are the 10 greatest examples of surprise Oscar-winners.
'Parasite': Best Picture (2020)
While Parasite being recognised as the best film of 2019 shouldn't be a surprise – since it was, indeed, the best film of 2019 – the success of Bong Joon-ho's black comedy thriller still startled movie experts. Lest we forget, before Parasite, no South Korean film had ever been nominated by the Academy, not even in the Best Foreign Language Feature category. At the end of last year's Oscars, Parasite had won four gongs, the most triumphant of which was Best Picture, making it the first non-English-language film to do so.
Marisa Tomei, 'My Cousin Vinny': Best Supporting Actress (1993)
At this point, everyone who has seen Marisa Tomei on screen can't help but be charmed by her. She is Aunt May in Marvel's Spider-Man films, after all. But, back in 1993, when the-then-29-year-old won Best Supporting Actress for My Cousin Vinny, it caused something of an uproar. Comedies are still roundly ignored by the Academy, while Tomei beat legendary actresses Joan Plowright, Vanessa Redgrave, Miranda Richardson and Judy Davis to claim the trophy. Her victory was such a surprise there was even speculation that Jack Palance read out the wrong name when he opened the envelope, an allegation the Academy has since disproved.
'Crash': Best Picture (2006)
It really does boggle the mind that Crash is a Best Picture Academy Award-winner. Even now, 15 years after it picked up the prize, Crash is widely criticised for its simplified approach to racism, which was deemed so offensive critic Ta-Nehisi Coates named it the worst film of the decade. Brokeback Mountain was the clear Best Picture favourite at the start of the night, and it seemed like a shoo-in after Ang Lee was named Best Director. It's been alleged that the Academy picked Crash because its members saw it as the safer choice. Since then, movie experts have regularly named it the most undeserving Best Picture winner in recent history. Even its writer and director, Paul Haggis, has admitted it wasn't the best film of the year.
'Rocky': Best Picture (1977)
It makes sense that, as the ultimate underdog film, Rocky should secure a place on this list. This isn't because the film didn't deserve the prize, it's just that it had to beat some of the greatest movies ever made to become Best Picture, namely All the President's Men, Network and Taxi Driver. Rocky proved to be so powerful that even the Academy couldn't put up a fight. Not only did it claim Best Picture, but John G Avildsen overcame the likes of Sidney Lumet and Ingmar Bergman to be named Best Director, too.
Robert Donat, 'Goodbye, Mr Chips': Best Actor (1940)
The 12th Academy Awards is primarily remembered as the year Gone With the Wind swept away the competition to pick up eight Oscars. But this didn't include Best Actor. Even though Clark Gable was nominated, he lost out to Robert Donat (for Goodbye, Mr Chips). Donat's success looks all the more remarkable when you consider his fellow nominees included Gable, Mickey Rooney, Laurence Olivier and James Stewart, each of whom are still regarded as household names.
Olivia Colman, 'The Favourite': Best Actress (2019)
Glenn Close looked set to finally pick up an Academy Award in 2019, at the eighth time of asking. Even though it was widely agreed that her turn in The Wife wasn't the best of her career, the Academy had long built up a reputation for rewarding certain actors for their careers. So when British actress Olivia Colman's name was read out, there was genuine shock. Thankfully, Colman's heartfelt speech immediately endeared her to those watching at home.
Art Carney, 'Harry and Tonto': Best Actor (1975)
As it was with Donat, it's hard to criticise Carney's emotional performance in the sentimental road movie about an elderly widower and his cat. It's simply astounding to see that Carney beat such prestigious competitors to win the prize. These included Albert Finney for Murder on the Orient Express, Dustin Hoffman for Lenny, Jack Nicholson for Chinatown, and Al Pacino for The Godfather Part II. It wasn't a surprise, however, when Tonto won that year's Patsy Award for Best Animal Performer in a Feature Film.
Roberto Benigni, 'Life is Beautiful': Best Actor (1999)
Roberto Benigni cemented his place in Oscars folklore after he beat Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan, Ian McKellen in Gods and Mosters, Nick Nolte in Affliction and Edward Norton in American History X for Best Actor. Benigni was in such shock that he started to run around the auditorium. And yet that was much safer than his response to Life is Beautiful winning Best Foreign Language Film, after which he leapt on to the back of the chair in front of him, and then jumped from chair to chair all the way to the stage. Benigni's actions instantly made up for the fact that Hanks was arguably a more deserving winner.
Kevin Costner, 'Dances With Wolves': Best Director (1991)
It feels wrong to describe Dances with Wolves as an underdog. Not only did it gross $424.2 million when it was released, and star Kevin Costner at the height of his popularity, but it's also the sort of American epic the Academy still loves to celebrate. The film also marked Costner's directorial debut. As awards season began to take shape in 1991, it became clear the two front runners for Best Director were Costner and Martin Scorsese for Goodfellas. Much to the anger of many film fans, Costner managed to pick up the gong at the first time of asking, while Scorsese had to wait until 2007, finally winning for The Departed.
'Moonlight': Best Picture (2017)
There's no denying that Moonlight was the best film of 2016. But, going into the ceremony, it was felt the Academy wouldn't be able to resist the old-school charm of La La Land. Damien Chazelle's musical, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, did end up winning the most Oscars on the night, but Moonlight was named Best Picture. Well, eventually, as Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway initially read out La La Land, only for its producer, Jordan Horowitz, to recognise they had the wrong envelope, and then famously beckon Moonlight's cast and crew to the stage.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
