Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment have been named executive producers of the 95th Oscars, Academy CEO Bill Kramer announced on Saturday (Sept. 17). For the eighth consecutive year, Weiss also will direct the show, which will air live on ABC and broadcast on outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 12, 2023. It will be Weiss’s second time and Kirshner’s first time producing the Oscars. Weiss first produced the show five years ago in tandem with Donna Gigliotti.
“We are thrilled to have Glenn and Ricky at the helm,” Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. “Their expertise in live television production is exactly what the Oscars needs. We look forward to working closely with them, our board of governors and the board’s awards committee to deliver an exciting and energized show.”
Will Packer and Shayla Cowan produced the 94th Oscars telecast, which went off the rails when Will Smith walked onstage and slapped presenter Chris Rock. “The Slap” got people talking about the Oscars — but for all the wrong reasons. The shocking moment probably got 100 times more attention than the announcement of the highly-regarded best picture winner, CODA. Smith resigned from the Academy, but was nonetheless barred from Academy events for a period of 10 years.
Weiss has directed dozens of live televised events, including 21 Tony Awards shows, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the American Music Awards, the BET Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors, last year’s multi-network Inaugural Night special Celebrating America, the Democratic National Convention and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
Kirshner’s credits include the Tony Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, 14 Super Bowl Halftime Shows, Night of Too Many Stars, the Democratic National Convention and various Presidential Inaugurals.
The Academy also announced other key members of the creative team for next year’s Oscars.
David Chamberlin will return for the fourth consecutive year to executive produce ABC’s The Oscars Red Carpet Show, the live lead-in to the 95th Oscars broadcast. Chamberlin leads Full Day Productions, with credits including the Savage X Fenty Show, The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration, multiple 30 for 30 films, Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, NFL Honors and the ESPY Awards.
Lisa Love and Raúl Àvila will join the team for the first time to reimagine the Oscars’ red carpet aesthetic. Àvila is the creative director for the Met Gala, and Love is a creative contributor overseeing various aspects of the event. They led the creative team for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ 2021 and 2022 galas.
Kenny Gravillis joins the team for the first time to conceptualize the key art for this year’s Oscars marketing campaign. His design agency, Gravillis Inc., recently rebranded Orion Pictures and has developed key art and campaigns for numerous movies, including Dune, Summer of Soul, Birds of Prey, Queen & Slim, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, Free Solo and Iris. A member of the Academy’s marketing and public relations branch, Gravillis also created posters and collateral materials for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ retail store.
Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley join the team for the first time as production designers. They comprise the first women-led design team on the Oscars. Buckley has designed world tours and productions for such artists as Ariana Grande, Kacey Musgraves and Coldplay, including the British band’s 2016 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Buckley also designed the 2021 Grammys, the Brit Awards, the London 2012 Paralympics Closing Ceremony, the 2015 Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony and the 2022 Commonwealth Games ceremonies. Billingsley was an art director on six previous Oscars broadcasts. Additional credits include the Primetime Emmy Awards, the CMA Awards, the BET Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Live! and the 2019 Glastonbury Festival.
The 95th Oscars will be held on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, formerly known as the Hollywood and Highland Center. The show will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
