Awards Season
VF’s annual Oscar-night bash celebrates its third decade this year. Take a trip down memory lane with legends past and present—movie stars, musicians, fashion icons, athletes, politicians, royalty, and titans of industry alike—to see how the party got started, took off, and quickly became the toughest door on Hollywood’s biggest night.
By Chiara Marinai and Britt Hennemuth
At the storied Vanity Fair Oscar Party, as Frank DiGiacomo noted in 2013, “there is no VIP section.” That’s probably what has made the event so alluring, so enviable, and so utterly unbelievable for the past three decades and counting: It’s a single room filled with some of the world’s most notable people, a common denominator for the least common congregation there is.
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Every year, the event is attended by starstruck first-time winners, stadium-filling rock stars, models from far-flung locations like Nigeria or Puerto Rico, Hollywood dynasties, European princesses, Super Bowl ring holders, and Olympic medalists. It’s the only place on earth you can find Joni Mitchell having a reflective tête-à-tête with Sarah Paulson, John McEnroe photobombing Snap CEOEvan Spiegel, and a victorious Will Smith rapping along to “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” on the dance floor just hours after slapping Chris Rock. The biggest names from every industry you can imagine, mixing under the same roof—for one night only.
Before the striped carpet is rolled out for our milestone 30th fête, VF invites you to relive the excitement with these photographs from Vanity Fair Oscar parties past—including outtakes from our photo booth, the Mark Seliger portrait studio, and other intimate glimpses at both Oscar winners and the company they keep.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, and Ellen Barkin at Steve Tisch and Vanity Fair’s Oscar-night party at Mortons in 1994.
The ’90s
In 1993, power literary-and-talent agent Irving “Swifty” Lazar—known for holding an exclusive yearly Oscar-viewing dinner and after-party—died at the age of 86. Lazar’s annual soirée had been a staple of Old Hollywood, drawing in society figures and working actors since 1964. So Graydon Carter and producer Steve Tisch decided to step into the ring, co-hosting the first V.F. Oscar party together in 1994. The event was relatively modest that year, and began with a 100-person dinner held at Mortons steak house on Melrose (the lot now occupied by Cecconi’s) that featured Lee Radziwill, Nancy Reagan, Oliver Stone, Gore Vidal, Gene Hackman, Donald Sutherland, Barry Diller, and Diane von Furstenberg among its seated guests. A hundred more famous figures arrived after the Oscar ceremony, including Robert De Niro, Prince, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Liam Neeson, and Natasha Richardson. As the decade continued, the event grew—in 1999, an architect even had to temporarily expand Mortons in order to fit the overflow—and cemented itself as the premiere destination for actors to let loose on Oscar night.
Prince entering the party in ’94, lollipop in hand; Courtney Love & Amanda de Cadenet in ’95; and Anna Nicole Smith entering the party in ’94.
Traci Lords & Elisabeth Shue in ’96; Salma Hayek entering the party ’97; Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin share a laugh inside Mortons in ’96.
Tom Cruise greeting Cuba Gooding Jr. at the party in 1997.
Steve Tisch with Elizabeth Hurley and Hugh Grant in 1995; Angela Bassett in ’94; Rosie O’Donnell and Emma Thompson in ’95; and George Clooney ’94.
Mel Gibson and a bagpiper in ’96 with his two Oscar wins for best picture and best director for Braveheart; a detail of a hedge outside the event; Robert De Niro chatting with Kirk Douglas in ’94; Jodie Foster in 1995.
Mick Jagger, Madonna, and Tony Curtis during the dinner in ’97; Kelly Lynch, John Travolta, and Kelly Preston say hello in ’96.
Nicolas Cage with Patricia Arquette at the party—and showing off his Oscar—in 1996.
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in 1996.
The scene outside at Mortons in 1997; Claire Danes, Gabriel Byrne, and Winona Ryder entering the party that same year.
Matt Damon in 1998 for his Oscar win for best actor in Good Will Hunting.
Juliette Binoche with her best-supporting-actress Oscar win in The English Patient in 1997.
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cher, Madonna, Helena Bonham Carter, and Kim Basinger in 1998.
Andie MacDowell in ’97; Charlize Theron with Geena Davis in ’98; Joan Collins and Sir Ian McKellen walking into the party in ’97; Dennis Rodman greets Billy Crystal in ’97.
Juliette Lewis with Sarah Paulson; Sean “Diddy” Combs and Pamela Anderson; and Madonna dancing with her brother Chris Ciccone in 1999.
Gwyneth Paltrow celebrating with her brother after her win for best actress in Shakespeare in Love in 1999.
The 2000s
As the business of Hollywood changed, so did the V.F. Oscar party. Contracts with fashion houses and luxury conglomerates became de rigueur for actors, elevating the stakes and dress code for Tinseltown in general. And as the Academy Awards themselves were challenged by other ascendent red carpets, the V.F. party evolved into a crucial opportunity for publicity. Twenty photographers lined the carpet in 1994; during the 2000s, that number grew to nearly 50. In 2009, the party moved to the Sunset Tower Hotel, an Art Deco landmark, to make room for a grander press line and to offer guests a new setting with panoramic views of the city.
Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, and Hilary Swank in 2000. Swank won best actress for Boys Don’t Cry.
Kate Hudson in 2000; Gillian Anderson in 2001; Farrah Fawcett in 2000; and Fran Lebowitz, Barry Diller, and Diane von Furstenberg having a ball in 2001.
Harmony Korine and Chloë Sevigny in 2001; Anne Heche and Ellen DeGeneres in 2000; and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in 2001.
Naomi Watts in 2002; Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown in 2001; Julianne Moore with Todd Haynes in 2003; and Graydon Carter, Jane Sarkin, and Annie Leibovitz in 2001.
Benjamin Bratt and Julia Roberts in 2001, after her win for best actress in Erin Brockovich.
Denzel Washington with his wife, Pauletta Washington, holding his Oscar for best actor in Training Day; Fran Lebowitz, a mainstay at the Oscar party; James Haven, Angelina Jolie, and Jon Voight in 2000 with Jolie’s Oscar statuette for best supporting actress in Girl, Interrupted; and Calista Flockhart and Sting in 2001.
Charlize Theron with her best-actress statuette win in 2004 for Monster.
Paris and Nicky Hilton in 2004; Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in 2003; Janet Jackson in 2005; and George Hamilton with Eve in 2003.
Cate Blanchett celebrating her best-supporting-actress win in The Aviator in 2005; Scarlett Johansson in 2005; Christina Aguilera and Pamela Anderson in 2005; and Jake Gyllenhaal in 2006.
Halle Berry, Spike Lee, and Tonya Lewis Lee in 2005; Gwen Stefani at dinner in 2004; Adrien Brody in 2003 signing autographs after his best-actor win for The Pianist; and Lauren Hutton in ’06.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé in 2005; Hilary Swank with her best-actress win in Million Dollar Baby.
Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger entering the party in 2006.
Three 6 Mafia with their best-original-song win in 2006 for “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from the film Hustle & Flow.
Sienna Miller with Tara Summers in 2006.
Reese Witherspoon with husband Ryan Phillippe in 2006 holding her win for best actress in Walk the Line.
Lindsay Lohan and Isla Fisher in ’06; Rachel Weisz in ’06 won best supporting actress for The Constant Gardener; Oprah Winfrey, Mary J. Blige, and Kendu Isaacs celebrating Jennifer Hudson’s win for best supporting actress for Dreamgirls in 2007.
Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker pose together with their Oscars in ’07. Whitaker won that year for best actor in The Last King of Scotland.
Gwen Stefani and Kate Beckinsale pose for a picture taken by Gavin Rossdale in 2009.
Tom Ford and Uma Thurman enjoy dinner and conversation in ’09; the Slumdog Millionaire crew: director Danny Boyle, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, and Dev Patel; John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston in ’09.
Penélope Cruz cradling her win for best supporting actress in Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2009.
Meryl Streep shows off Kate Winslet’s gold statuette for her best-actress win in The Reader.
The 2010s
Over the 2010s the party was held in three different locations: the Sunset Tower Hotel, the Sunset Strip, and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills—where it currently resides in a built-from-scratch complex of velvet-clad bars and inviting dance floors. Although storming the door hasn’t gotten any easier, the party has continued to grow: It now shuts down an entire street on Oscar night, and includes both an outdoor garden and a lounge (normally the front yard of City Hall), as well as photo booths for guests’ mementos and proof of admission. The Mark Seliger portrait studio started in 2014, capturing notable guests in quiet moments of celebration and reflection. As the first of its kind, Seliger’s speedy rapport with these megawatt stars has gone on to inspire countless imitations at major fêtes across the world. In 2018, V.F. editor Radhika Jones became the host of the party, leading the way into our next decade of celebration.
The Sunset Tower lit up for the party and the memorable striped red carpet. V.F.’s Oscar party was held there for five years.
Emma Stone; Katy Perry and Russell Brand; Gabourey Sidibe; and sisters Jackie and Joan Collins at the 2010 Oscar party.
Jeremy Renner and Kathryn Bigelow in 2010; Cameron Diaz in 2010; Reese Witherspoon inside the 2011 event; Kristen Stewart and Julianne Moore at the 2010 party.
Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr. get inside the V.F. Oscar photo booth.
Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow share a laugh in 2011.
Natalie Portman with her Oscar; Hailee Steinfeld wearing Converse to the party; Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber check out their photo-booth print in 2011; Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus inside in 2012.
Channing Tatum in 2013; Jane Fonda and Glenn Close in 2012; Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones attend in 2013.
Jennifer Lawrence in 2013 with her best-actress Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook.
Irina Shayk entering the party in 2013.
The 2013 photo booth with Adam Shulman and Anne Hathaway; Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom.
Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak; Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault.
Larry David, Isla Fisher, and Sacha Baron Cohen in 2013; Bono, Portia de Rossi, and Ellen DeGeneres in 2014; Elizabeth Banks and Amy Adams in 2014.
Victoria and David Beckham converse with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes; Bradley Cooper; Taylor Swift, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jaime King, and Karlie Kloss have some fun in 2014.
Julianne Moore, with husband Bart Freundlich in 2015, holding her best-actress Oscar for Still Alice; Jessica Chastain in 2015; Lynn Wyatt and Georgina Chapman in 2016; Jennifer Garner in 2016.
Solange and Beyoncé partying in 2015.
The view outside the Wallis Annenberg location where the party moved in 2015; Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto attend in 2014; Chrissy Teigen shares her burger with John Legend in 2015; Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton in 2016.
Leonardo DiCaprio greeting well-wishers after his best-actor win for The Revenant in 2016.
Alicia Vikander shows off her Oscar win for best supporting actress in The Danish Girl in 2016.
Lupita Nyong’o with her best-supporting-actress Oscar for 12 Years a Slave in 2014.
Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson in 2015.
Lady Gaga in 2016.
Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake in 2016.
Mahershala Ali with his best-supporting-actor Oscar for Moonlight.
Timothée Chalamet and Luca Guadagnino in 2018.
James Corden and Anne Hathaway in 2016; Barry Jenkins, the year Moonlight won best picture, in 2017; Rachel McAdams in 2016; Justin Theroux, Orlando Bloom, and Jennifer Aniston in 2017; Julius Tennon and Viola Davis in 2017, with her best-supporting-actress Oscar for Fences.
Amy Adams and Vin Diesel in 2017; Sofia Vergara in 2018; Derek Blasberg, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Dakota Johnson in 2017; Radhika Jones and Allison Janney in 2018.
Salma Hayek digs into a burger with husband François-Henri Pinault at her side; Zoë Kravitz with mother Lisa Bonet; Sarah Paulson and Tracee Ellis Ross share a laugh in 2018.
Keegan-Michael Key with Drake; Sam Rockwell shares the thrill of winning with Gary Oldman. Rockwell won best supporting actor for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri while Gary Oldman won best actor for Darkest Hour.
Frances McDormand poses with her best-actress Oscar for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri while husband Joel Coen (trailing) and Willem Dafoe (far left) look on; Jordan Peele checks out his original-screenplay Oscar for Get Out; Matt Bomer and Janelle Monáe take a quick photo break during the dinner.
From left: Regina Hall, Donald Glover, Tracee Ellis Ross, Ava DuVernay, Sarah Jones, Rashida Jones, Lena Waithe, Dr. Ivara Esege, Angela Bassett, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Shonda Rhimes, Mark Bradford, Gabrielle Union, DeRay Mckesson, Chuck Lightning, Janelle Monáe.
Ciara, Laura Dern, and Russell Wilson.
Greta Gerwig.
Brad Pitt and Kanye West in 2020.
Renee Zellweger photographed by Mark Seliger in 2020.
Billie Eilish with her Oscar for Best Original Song, 2022.
Jonathan Majors, Janicza Bravo, and Jeremy O. Harris talk over cocktails at the 2022 Oscar Party.
Clockwise from top R: Kevin Bacon and Al Pacino; Vin Diesel and Megan Thee Stallion; Nick Kroll, Alana Haim, and Cooper Hoffman; Will Smith. 2022.
Top to Bottom: Anya Taylor Joy; Lashana Lynch on the dance floor; Andrew Garfield. 2022.
Jessica Chastain with her Oscar for Best Actress 2022.
Savannah Guthrie, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, and Taika Waititi in 2022.
Jonathan Majors and Michael B. Jordan by Mark Seliger in 2022.
Ariana DeBose by Mark Seliger in 2022.
Troy Kotsur with his Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role 2022.
2023’s best supporting actor Ke Huy Quan, enjoying a victory lap, and an In-N-Out burger.
Tony Kushner, Bill Nighy, Steven Spielberg, and Ralph Rieckermann in 2023.
Sharon Stone, Sarah Paulson, Holland Taylor, Sienna Miller, and Patricia Clarkson huddle in 2023.
Best actress Michelle Yeoh with her Oscar in 2023.
Best actor Brendan Fraser and his girlfriend, Jeanne Moore, in 2023.
Gigi Hadid and Channing Tatum in 2023; Shailene Woodley and Florence Pugh in 2023; Ariana DeBose, Kerry Washington, and Nnamdi Asomugha in 2023.
Tiffany Haddish, Kate Hudson, and Naomi Ackie in 2023; nominee Stephanie Hsu in 2023; Taika Waititi and Rita Ora in 2023.
Best actor nominees (and pals) Paul Mescal and Austin Butler in 2023.
Jennifer Coolidge strikes a pose in 2023.
Chloe and Halle Bailey in the Seliger studio in 2023.
If you’ve made it this far, consider yourself a true VF Oscar-party historian. Make sure to check back on Oscar night, immediately following the telecast, for all the after-party coverage—from portraits to party pics and a red-carpet livestream, as well as more surprises.
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