Full Coverage: Oscars 2014

Watch the 86th Academy Awards in time lapse from the red carpet through the show and backstage.

The academy gets it right by rewarding ’12 Years a Slave’ and ‘Gravity.’

Richly varied portrayals by Cate Blanchett, Lupita Nyong’o’ and other actresses mark a weighty milestone.

The host’s informal approach prolongs the show, but there are winning speeches

Oscars 2014: A ’12 Years’ advertising line that worked is one of the teachable moments in the long trek to the Oscars.

The Academy Awards telecast might be best remembered as a collection of moments — Jared Leto’s acceptance speech, Lupita Nyong’o’s acceptance speech, host Ellen DeGeneres’ organizing A-listers for Twitter-crashing selfies.

From the ad campaign for the film to a joke by host Ellen DeGeneres, issues of racial sensitivity and righting historical wrongs surround the picture.

From Brad Pitt to the pizza guy, backstage at the Oscars was a site for surprises, smooches and last-minute prepping.

Oscars 2014: Director Alfonso Cuarón spent four years making ‘Gravity,’ which brought many technical challenges.

Here are the 2014 Oscar moments you may not have seen on TV.

A look into the winners’ room at the 86th Academy Awards.

While the location of Graydon Carter’s famous Vanity Fair Oscar party changed Sunday for the first time in five years, the abundance of A-list celebrities attending the bash did not.

“American Sniper,” “Birdman,” “Boyhood,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The Imitation Game,” “Selma,” “The Theory of Everything” and “Whiplash” are the eight best picture nominees heading into the 87th Academy Awards on Sunday.

Sunday’s Oscars telecast will mark the 23rd straight appearance for McDonald’s and 22nd in a row for American Express.

“12 Years A Slave” won best picture at the 86th Academy Awards on Sunday night, a poignant victory for the harrowing look at slavery in the United States.

Best and worst dressed | Show highlights | Best & worst | Winners’ room | Behind the scenes | Quotes from the stars | Complete list of winners and nominees | Envelope Screening Series | 10 years behind the scenes at the Oscars | Awkward moments | Actors who’ve never won an Oscar

“I’m still hungry,” Jennifer Lawrence said on the Academy Awards red carpet, “because I still have to fit into my corset.”

Red carpet arrivals | Show highlights | Best & worst | Winners’ room | Behind the scenes | Quotes from the stars | Complete list of nominees | Envelope Screening Series | 10 years behind the scenes at the Oscars | Awkward moments

Did they just say that at the Academy Awards? Why, yes, they did.

Highs and lows at the Academy Awards: Lupita Nyong’o and Matthew McConaughey demonstrate their speech-giving skills, Ellen DeGeneres does a selfie, and John Travolta mangles a name.

See the 86th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood unfold with memorable moments from the show.

See portraits of 2014 Academy Award presenters and performers as documented by The Times.

Highlights from the Oscars -- Hollywood’s most prestigious night -- through the years.

Hollywood’s top players are usually flawless on screen, but at the Academy Awards, they’re bound to say or do the unexpected.

MORE: Full coverage | Top nominees | Nominees react | Complete list of nominees | Envelope Screening Series | Play-at-home ballot

Here’s a brief look at some of the musical performances on Oscar night through the years, featuring Beyonce, Adele, Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen, Björk, Robin Williams and more.

MORE: Full coverage | Top nominees | Snubs & surprises | Complete list of nominees | Envelope Screening Series | Play-at-home ballot

The 86th Academy Awards are set for a dramatic finish, with the best picture race apparently coming down to three favorites: “American Hustle,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Gravity.”