Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan to Return as Executive Producers of the 97th Oscars

Live television event producer Raj Kapoor returns as executive producer and showrunner, Katy Mullan as executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton as director of the 97th Oscars®; Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang announced today. It is Kapoor and Mullan’s second time to executive produce and Hamilton’s fifth time directing the Oscars. They each won an Emmy® Award for their work on the 96th Oscars. “The Oscars” will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the official live red carpet show airing at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

A talented creative team returns from the 96th Oscars to work with Kapoor, Mullan and Hamilton to help shape the vision of the Oscars, including production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, who won Emmys for their work on the 96th Oscars, and red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin. Music director Michael Bearden joins the team for the first time.

“We are delighted to announce the return of our incredibly dynamic and creative Oscars team, Raj, Katy, Hamish, Misty, Alana and Dave. And we are thrilled to announce the addition of the brilliant Michael Bearden,” said Kramer and Yang. “Their love for cinema, their collective creative vision and their unparalleled expertise in live television make them the perfect team to create an exceptional show for our global audience on the film industry's biggest night.”

“We are thrilled to lead the brilliant Oscars production team again and work alongside the Academy and Disney/ABC to help create an unforgettable night of television for movie lovers worldwide,” said Kapoor and Mullan. “We hope to continue to inspire and connect new generations to share our love for the art of filmmaking and celebrate all the incredible artists who are Oscar nominated this year.”

“Last year’s show was a tremendous success in no small part to the creative vision of Raj, Katy, Hamish and their teams,” said Rob Mills, executive vice president, Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment, Walt Disney Television. “We are excited to have them back and can’t wait for what’s in store for the 97th telecast.” 

Kapoor has earned eight Emmy Award nominations and, in addition to the 96th Oscars, also won for executive producing the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) “Adele: One Night Only.” In addition to several Oscars shows, Kapoor’s credits include “The GRAMMY® Awards,” “ACM Awards,” “Latin GRAMMYS®,” “The Emmy Awards,” “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,” “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter” and “The Paris Olympics LA28 Handover Closing Ceremony.” 

Mullan is an executive producer, showrunner and partner in the global live event production company Done + Dusted. Her work in live entertainment ranges from producing the London Olympics opening and closing ceremonies to “The Little Mermaid Live!.” Mullan’s recent credits include “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,” “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” “Step Into…The Movies,” several Christmas and New Year’s Eve television specials and the “Disney Family Singalong” franchise.

Hamilton made his Oscars debut directing the 82nd Academy Awards® telecast in 2010 and subsequently directed the 86th and 87th Oscars, both of which earned him Emmy nominations. In addition to the 96th Oscars, he also won an Emmy for the 2023 SUPER BOWL Halftime Show starring Rihanna. He has directed many other celebrated live televised events, including “The Emmy Awards,” “The GRAMMY Awards,” 15 SUPER BOWL halftime shows, and the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics. Hamilton has earned 13 Emmy Award nominations, a BAFTA Award and a BAFTA Special Award, a Peabody Award, and a GRAMMY Award nomination for the musical special “Robbie Williams – Live at the Albert.” He is the founder of the global live event production company Done + Dusted.

Bearden is an acclaimed music director, keyboardist, arranger, conductor and composer. He has worked with more than 520 music artists, most notably Whitney Houston, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and as Michael Jackson’s final music director. Bearden earned Emmy nominations for Outstanding Music Direction for the SUPER BOWL LI Halftime Show featuring Lady Gaga and “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.” He has served as a music director for the Primetime Emmy Awards, GRAMMY Awards, The MARK TWAIN PRIZE FOR AMERICAN HUMOR Awards, and as a musician and arranger for several KENNEDY CENTER HONORS and Oscars shows. An accomplished composer, Bearden’s feature film scores include “Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only,” “Outlaw Johnny Black,” “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” “American Blackout” and “Constellation.”

Buckley and Billingsley return as production designers for this year’s show. In addition to the 96th Oscars Emmy win, they earned nominations for their work on the 95th Oscars. Buckley has designed world tours and productions for such artists as Ariana Grande, Kacey Musgraves and Coldplay, including the band’s SUPER BOWL halftime show. She also designed the 2022 Commonwealth Games ceremonies, the 2021 GRAMMY Awards, the 2015 Rugby World Cup opening ceremony, the London 2012 Paralympics closing ceremony, the BRIT AWARDS and numerous television productions for the BBC and ITV. Buckley earned a BAFTA nomination for her work with Stormzy at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival and Emmy nominations for her production design of “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,” “Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl,” the 2021 GRAMMY AWARDS and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid Live!.” Billingsley was an art director on six previous Oscars broadcasts, for which she earned five Emmy nominations and won two Emmys. Additional credits include “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “The Emmy Awards,” “The GRAMMY Awards,” “CMA Awards,” “BET Awards” and numerous other live television productions.

Chamberlin will return for the sixth consecutive year to executive produce ABC’s “The Oscars Red Carpet Show,” the official live lead-in to the 97th Oscars broadcast. Chamberlin leads Full Day Productions, with credits including the ESPY Awards, NFL Honors, the “Savage X Fenty Show,” “The Netflix Slam,” multiple “30 for 30” films, and “Monday Night Football” with Peyton and Eli.

The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

About The Academy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is home to a global membership of more than 10,500 of the most accomplished film industry artists and leaders. The Academy recognizes and celebrates all aspects of the arts and sciences of moviemaking through renowned awards for cinematic achievement, including the Oscars®. With the world’s largest film museum and collection, the Academy preserves our cinematic history and presents honest and powerful programs about cinema’s past, present, and future. Across all initiatives, the Academy connects global audiences – its members, the film industry, and film fans – through their shared passion for making and watching films.

Photo credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

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