5 indelible photos from Hollywood's awards season, and the stories behind them

LOS ANGELES (AP) — As a staff photojournalist for The Associated Press based in Los Angeles, Chris Pizzello covers hundreds of entertainment events a year — perched in the rafters, crouched on the red carpet or directing stars to make the perfect portrait. It all culminates in awards season, where he captures the defining moments in the lives of the celebrities he's shot day in and day out, from the triumphs of Beyoncé and Bad Bunny at the Grammys to the envelope snafu and The Slap at the Oscars.

Ahead of Sunday's Oscars, he broke down his favorite photos from the 2026 awards season thus far.

One of the cool aspects of shooting the Critics Choice Awards in January is that the few photographers allowed inside are placed right in the middle of the room, surrounded by tables of celebrities. Usually, at awards shows, we're placed far behind the action, requiring us to scope out the celebrities with massive, bazooka-like 600 mm lenses on monopods.

I usually try to predict who is going to win right before the announcement, so that I can capture their instant reaction. It’s one of my favorite kinds of entertainment photos. Everyone likes to win and they’re always at least a little surprised or gratified, no matter how many times they’ve won before. For the supporting actress category, I actually thought that Teyana Taylor was the likely winner, since “One Battle After Another” had been winning a lot of critics’ awards. So I had my lens trained on her back near the stage. But I knew Amy Madigan was also quite close to my position over to my left. When they announced Madigan’s name for “Weapons,” I swung my lens over quickly and managed to capture her own surprise. I love the reactions of the folks at the table around her, especially her young co-star Cary Christopher in the shades.

Every awards season, there is one nominee who is having more fun than everyone else — and this year, that person is Taylor. Awards season eventually becomes a slog to the vast majority of the nominees, and you can sense the flagging energy as February churns into March. The shoulders slump imperceptibly, the smile becomes a little forced, and the wave to the crowd a little less ebullient than it was at the Palm Springs Film Festival at the start of January (the unofficial kickoff of every awards season).

But none of this applies to Taylor. She’s easily been the red carpet star of the 2026 awards season. She’s the most fashionable, the most energetic and just the plain happiest to be here. The entertainment photographers all wake up when she arrives for the red carpet, and she definitely knows what she’s doing out there.

I like this frame from the photo room of the Golden Globes because you can sense Taylor’s exuberance without even seeing her face. She had just won the supporting actress in a motion picture award for her performance in “One Battle After Another” and was posing up a storm. She gave the photographers about 10 different looks, all equally lively and fun, before finally turning around and striking this triumphant pose.

Some of the best vibes of awards season are found at the annual Oscar nominees luncheon, customarily held at the storied Beverly Hilton. Nominees will stroll around makeshift studios set up by the world’s media outlets and do interviews. A few of the outlets (like the AP) are allowed to shoot brief portraits.

It’s all a bit of a crapshoot, since every outlet is fighting to get the same nominees and there are only so many interviews they can do. You just have to be ready for whoever happens to stop by. This year, best actor nominee Ethan Hawke was one of the very first nominees to visit the AP studio. The “Blue Moon” star was so early that my lighting was not even fine-tuned yet. (It usually takes a few sessions before you really have the lighting ratio locked in.)

Since these are very brief shoots, all you can do is try to get the subject on your side immediately. What popped into my head was how I felt he was robbed a few years ago when he was not even nominated for his incredible performance in Paul Schrader's “First Reformed.” He chuckled and said he agreed. Hawke has an interesting way of chatting and posing at the same time, a quality that has been remarked upon by fellow photographers. It’s more efficient because when you put your camera down to mingle, you’re robbing yourself of precious time to get portraits. Or potentially taking time away from the interviewer. In this frame, Hawke laughed at something in mid-conversation, which gave the portrait a relaxed, spontaneous feel — all you can ask for.

The Grammys are always a busy, chaotic, three-hour plus show with elaborate sets, constant lighting and costume changes, pyrotechnic displays and sometimes a cast of hundreds running around the stage for just a single production number. So it was a radical move indeed when Justin Bieber came out onstage to perform, wearing nothing but a guitar and his boxers.

His performance was literally so stripped-down that there wasn’t much to shoot other than tight shots of Bieber moodily leaning into his microphone. Then near the end of the song, as I was switching lenses, I looked up and noticed the wider context of a lone, small figure alone on the stage, dimly lit by a spotlight overhead. Shooting the boxer-clad Bieber in front of a sea of black hopefully gets across the guts it took for him to lay it on the line in front of not only a packed arena but also a live, worldwide viewing audience.

It had all been getting too predictable. While there has been some variability in the supporting actor wins through awards season, the leads seemed to have been locked in since early January: Jessie Buckley and Timothée Chalamet. While Buckley prevailed yet again at the Actor Awards, there was a big surprise in store when Viola Davis took the stage to present male actor in a leading role.

My lens was trained on Chalamet. I thought the only possible upset could be Leonardo DiCaprio for “One Battle After Another,” since he was the early favorite in the category before everyone saw Chalamet’s electrifying turn in “Marty Supreme.” But Leo was not even in the building, so I kept my focus on Chalamet.

But Davis suddenly called out Michael B. Jordan’s name for “Sinners,” and the ballroom erupted. No one saw it coming, least of all Jordan. He is a pretty cool customer, so it was fun to shoot his genuinely gobsmacked reaction up at the podium. The Actor Awards this year was like seeing a fairly conventional Hollywood film with an out-of-nowhere twist ending.

FILE - Justin Bieber performs "Yukon" during the 68th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

Ethan Hawke poses for a portrait during the 98th Academy Awards Oscar nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Teyana Taylor poses in the press room with the award for best performance by a female actor in a supporting role in any motion picture for "One Battle After Another" during the 83rd Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Amy Madigan, center, reacts to winning the award for best supporting actress for "Weapons" during the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., on an. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Michael B. Jordan reacts as he accepts the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role for "Sinners" during the 32nd Annual Actor Awards in Los Angeles on March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — At this month's Milan Cortina Paralympics, some athletes competed in shorts, T-shirts and tank tops. One skier lamented “tropical” conditions and a snowboarder complained that soft, slow snow put him at a disadvantage. And some worried about their safety.

“I’m here to represent the disability community on a snowboard, and I want to give the best show that I can,” three-time Paralympic gold medalist Brenna Huckaby of the U.S. said. “But I’m not going to kill myself in the process ... I've got two kids at home, and I'm already disabled. I'm not trying to disable myself more."

The warm weather at the Paralympics that run through Sunday has some athletes asking: Should these Games be held earlier in the year when cold weather is more reliable?

“If it were my decision, I would absolutely move the Olympics and Paralympics,” American Para snowboarder Zach Miller said.

Miller got into the sport because he saw the U.S. team sweep the debut of men’s Para snowboard cross at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics. At these Games, he wants to show kids how they can compete in sports and do cool things.

“And then it’s way less cool, because I’m dealing with, like, really terrible conditions and racing on a course that doesn’t actually show what the sport is,” he said. “It’s frustrating.”

Miller finished sixth in the snowboard cross finals, and said lighter riders like him can be at a disadvantage in maintaining momentum in softer snow.

German Para biathlete Marco Maier pushed through mushy snow wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt so he wouldn't overheat.

“We have the Summer Games now,” cracked Maier, who stayed cool enough to capture a bronze medal in last weekend's sprint race. “It is a challenge.”

The early March warmth would be “almost impossible” without the influence of climate change, said Shel Winkley, a Climate Central meteorologist.

Researchers say the places that can reliably host a Winter Games will shrink because of climate change. The Paralympics are typically held two weeks after the Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has said it's considering rotating the Games among a permanent pool of suitable locations and holding them earlier because March is getting too warm for the Paralympics.

The International Paralympic Committee is working with the IOC to consider the dates. Moving them isn't easy because of other major winter sporting competitions, but it may be necessary to ensure the best conditions, said Craig Spence, the IPC's chief brand and communications officer.

Spence dismissed complaints about conditions this year, saying courses had been excellent. But he acknowledged a future problem.

“Clearly climate change is not going to go away. We’re very conscious of its impact on not just winter sports, but also summer sports,” he told the AP Wednesday. “We’ve seen temperatures rising at Paralympic Winter Games for the last few editions now.”

Changing weather conditions challenge all athletes. But medical professionals say they can be even tougher for Para athletes.

Dr. Jaap Stomphorst, a sports physician at the Isala hospital in the Netherlands, said poor snow quality has a “big influence” on the rate of injuries and accidents among Paralympians. For example, sit-ski racers need very good snow to come down the course safely because they can’t adjust for ruts by moving their weight off the ski, and bumps can be particularly problematic for visually impaired skiers, he said. Stomphorst studied injuries at past Paralympic Games.

Dr. Sarah Eby, head team physician for the U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team, noted that athletes without a disability have “two knees, they've got all their muscles working right when they need them to work ... Thinking of our Para athletes, maybe they have only one leg, they're relying more on equipment that they can't adjust.”

Miller, the snowboarder, said warming conditions lead athletes to try to “minimize mistakes and ride conservative, because everything you're going to do is going to be punished out there on the snow.” He added: “You're worried about your own safety on course, you don't feel like you can be the athlete that you know you are."

Organizers canceled practice sessions for skiing and snowboarding to preserve the course for both performance and safety. Some race starts were moved earlier or rescheduled to another day to minimize weather's effects, including rain that was forecast for this Saturday. The sun has been out nearly every day in Cortina d'Ampezzo and temperatures have risen significantly in the afternoons, with highs reaching nearly 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).

The organizing committee said it works to ensure excellent, consistent snow conditions by using advanced snowmaking systems to complement natural snowfall, monitoring the weather and temperatures, and planning for a range of weather scenarios. The committee also said competition schedules are reviewed regularly to ensure safety and fair competition.

Austrian Markus Salcher blamed himself for a fall in the super-G race, but said the softer snow also played a role. American Patrick Halgren, who won silver in the standing division, called conditions “tropical.” He said the skiing felt like surfing.

Some athletes praised organizers for keeping the courses in decent shape despite the warmth. That included American Para Alpine skier Andrew Haraghey, who couldn’t finish his super-G standing race on a course he said was far from perfect.

“We’re making it work, but it’s not ideal,” Haraghey said. “I think it’s as safe as it’s going to be. I think it’s more so that people are pushing the limits.”

Canadian Para snowboarder Sandrine Hamel said that women's events are held first in the cooler morning conditions, and it's warmer when the men compete later.

“I get the best and it’s already hot, warm, slower and bumpier,” she said. “So they get even worse than that.”

Canadian Para snowboarder Tyler Turner tries to keep the fluctuating conditions in stride.

“We’re a bunch of amputees and injured people up there. We can adapt on the fly. We’re good at this," Turner said. "For me, I’ve just got to ride and keep my eyes open and stay aware of what’s happening out there on the track.”

Graham and Peterson reported from Denver, Colorado. McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Norway's Vilde Nilsen, gold, is followed by Germany's Kathrin Marchand, 4th, in the cross country skiing women’s sprint classic standing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Tesero, Italy, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Brenna Huckaby, of the United States, reacts after finishing 6th in the women's snowboard cross SB-LL2 at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Christina Picton, of Canada, right, competes in the cross country skiing women's 10Km interval start sitting final at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Zach Miller, of the United States, from left, Keith Gabel, of the United States, and Alex Massie, of Canada, compete in a men's snowboard cross SB-LL2 semifinal at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Brittany Hudak, of Canada, competes in the cross country skiing women's 10Km interval start classic standing final at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)