This weekend's Oscars, Independent Spirit Awards' Delaware connections

The long slog that has been this awards season is about to, mercifully, come to a close.

With more drama surrounding the Oscars than all eight of the Best Picture nominees combined, it's hard to say what audiences will be in for when the show airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC. 

There was supposed to be an award for most popular movie, but that was scratched.

Then the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tapped Kevin Hart to host the show.

That isn't happening anymore.

Then the Academy tried to cut four categories from the telecast to keep it at a more manageable length. 

Members of the entertainment industry rebelled, and the Academy reversed course, adding cinematography, editing, hair and makeup and live action short categories back to the show.

So ... we're basically at the same place we were the day after last year's Oscars. 

Here's what we know about the Oscars and its much younger, hipper cousin the Independent Spirit Awards, which airs the night before.

Film Independent Spirit Awards: 

This annual awards show in a tent next to the Santa Monica Pier highlights a broad range of work, from smaller films to more mainstream ones. Nominated for best feature are some that may have just missed an Oscar nod, including "Eighth Grade," "First Reformed," "If Beale Street Could Talk," "Leave No Trace" and "You Were Never Really Here."  

The show airs the Saturday before the Oscars — think of it as the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, with looser speeches and none of the big-day jitters.

Delaware native Aubrey Plaza is hosting the show that, over the years, has had everyone from Kristen Bell to the duo of John Mulaney and Nick Kroll at its helm. Fun fact: Plaza was part of the team that won last year's Best First Feature for "Ingrid Goes West," so she should feel right at home.

The show airs live at 5 p.m. Saturday on IFC. 

No cable? No problem. The show is streaming live on Facebook Watch at facebook.com/filmindependentspiritawards. Clips and highlights will be posted on YouTube, too, at youtube.com/filmindependent. 

Academy Awards (Oscars):

The granddaddy of glam awards shows returns Sunday night.

Fans tuning in for the awards will see a lot of stars in the seats and on stage. Slated to present are Michael B. Jordan, Michael Keaton, Jennifer Lopez, Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Michelle Yeoh, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Keegan-Michael Key, Charlize Theron, Jason Momoa, Laura Dern, Barbra Streisand, Serena Williams and a lot more.

Music fans are in for a big night, too, with Adam Lambert and Queen performing in a nod to "Bohemian Rhapsody." Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga will take the stage to perform their hit "Shallow" from "A Star is Born," and Bette Midler will sing the nominated song "The Place Where Lost Things Go" from "Mary Poppins Returns."

And, unlike some years, the Best Picture field has some major box office winners in the running. The eight movies nominated for Best Picture are "Black Panther," "Blackkklansman," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "The Favourite," "Green Book," "Roma," "A Star is Born" and "Vice."

"Black Panther" was the No. 1 grossing movie in the country last year, according to Box Office Mojo, with "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "A Star is Born" coming in 12th and 13th, respectively.  

Salesianum grad celebrates Oscar nomination for 'A Star Is Born' with cookies

Will having fan favorites in the mix make more people watch the show? Organizers hope so. Attendance has been sagging in recent years.

A group of Delawareans will definitely be tuned in to see if Brandywine Hundred native Will Fetters scores his first win. Fetters, along with star and director Bradley Cooper and writer Eric Roth, are nominated for best adapted screenplay for "A Star is Born."

The show airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC. You can also stream the show through ABC's app and at ABC.com. 

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