It’s not every day Michelle Yeoh, Austin Butler, Angela Bassett, Steven Spielberg, Lady Gaga, and dozens of other major stars appear in a photo together – but that’s exactly what happened at this year’s Oscars Luncheon. Over 180 of the 2023 nominees gathered together for the Feb. 13 event, documented in the class photo above.
Not everyone was able to attend, however, like Rihanna, who had performed the Super Bowl halftime show the day before and who is nominated for best original song for “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Still, the star-studded event saw the likes of Paul Mescal, Tom Cruise, Jamie Lee Curtis, and countless other luminaries coming together at the Beverly Hilton.
In a speech at the event, Academy President Janet Yang directly addressed one of the most memorable moments from the 2022 Oscars – when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. “What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable, and the response from our organization was inadequate,” Yang said, per the Los Angeles Times. “We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions. And particularly in times of crisis, we must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”
She also reminded the nominees that they need to keep their speeches short, especially since every award will be presented on-air this year. “If you win a coveted gold statue, your acceptance speech must be 45 seconds, tops,” she said, asking the nominees to say the number back to her for emphasis.
The 95th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will air on March 12.
Check out a video of the photoshoot below.