Oscar Nominees Celebrate ‘Year Like No Other’ Ahead of Ceremony

Actors Will Smith and Denzel Washington greet at the 94th Oscars Nominees Luncheon in Los Angeles, California, US, March 7, 2022. (Reuters)

Will Smith, Kristen Stewart and other Academy Awards contenders gathered on Monday to celebrate at the annual Oscar nominees' luncheon, one of the film industry's largest gatherings since the COVID-19 pandemic limited the Hollywood awards circuit.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessica Chastain, Steven Spielberg and Bradley Cooper also joined the crowd in a packed ballroom at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles. Stars mingled with sound mixers, costume designers and other behind-the-scenes workers in contention for this year's Oscars, which will be awarded in a live ceremony on March 27.