Welcome to Burdet-tiquette, where Lisa Burdette, founder of The Dallas School of Etiquette and a mother of six with global expertise, answers your questions on the art of courtesy.

Tinseltown will soon be lit up with even more stage lights than usual as stars from across the globe turn up to see who amongst them will win the most coveted award in acting.

In 2025, roughly 20 million Americans watched the Oscars, Variety reported. This continued a trend of modest year-over-year post-pandemic increases in viewership, although television viewership has not returned to its reported peak in 1998, when more than 57 million viewers tuned in to watch Titanic win Best Picture.

The inaugural Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in California. The first televised ceremony was held simultaneously at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and the NBC International Theatre in New York City on March 19, 1953.

For decades, it has been an American tradition to watch the greatest contest in one of our iconic industries play out in real time. As film historian Robert Osborne once noted, “What began as an industry dinner evolved into a global cultural phenomenon through unexpected circumstances.”

The next Academy Awards will be televised from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 15, 2026.

In the spirit of making the most of this moment, The Dallas Express asked our resident etiquette expert How to Throw the Perfect Oscars Party.

(The nominees for Best Picture and Best Actor/Actress are listed in a table attached at the bottom of this story.)

How to Throw the Perfect Oscars Party

The 98th Academy Awards (Oscars) are approaching, and what fun it is to celebrate this glamorous occasion with family and friends! Personally, I love to dress up when hosting an Oscars party and ask my party guests to dress as if they were planning to attend the red-carpet event themselves. You could even ask guests to come as their favorite movie actor or actress. In addition to party attire, I’ll share some tips for how to host the perfect Oscars party of your own.

How to Host an Oscars Watch Party

Décor

• Make the party formal, yet fun.
• Use gold as the primary color in your decorations.
• Create a celebratory atmosphere by decorating your house with flowers as well as Hollywood or movie-themed décor. You can find posters online for movies to display.
• Find a red carpet to create a photo booth in your home.
• Have old movies playing on your TV as your guests arrive.
• Make sure to organize the room so guests are comfortable and can see the TV.
• Pay attention to the ambience of the room. An Oscars party should be lively and filled with bling.
• Music is essential and should be kept low.  I would recommend Frank Sinatra.

Games

Games are a must! You can order Oscar trophies on Amazon to give out as prizes. Ideas for games include…

• Create an Oscars Bingo card for all your guests to fill out…the first to complete a row wins.
• Give each guest a pen and a pad with their initials on it. Ask them to list who has won the Best Actress award for the past 5 years. Next, have guests write down the 5 most popular movies. You can also ask who has been to the movies most recently.
• Have guests fill out a form to pick the winners for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Actor. Give a prize to the winner.

Food

Serve movie-themed snacks and drinks at your party. Edible gold leaf is a great addition to your food and drinks. If you serve champagne, sprinkle it with edible 24-karat gold leaf.

Serve classic foods such as beef tenderloin, mini rolls, and raw veggies with caviar. You can also have a table of casual foods such as bottled soda and popcorn packaged in authentic boxes.

A potential schedule for the evening could be…

• Drinks and hors d’oeuvres from 6:30-7:15 PM
• Dinner served at 7:30 PM

How to Be a Gracious Host

Most importantly, display impeccable hospitality. As a host, it is important to be perceptive, organized, meticulous, and confident in your capabilities to improvise when the need arises.

Be generous and plentiful with your food servings. In addition, be generous with your own time. How you entertain your guests will be much more memorable to them than the cuisine you serve. The best hostess has time to mingle.

Always keep an eye on your guests.  Check to see if everyone is involved in conversation… if they are not talking, check that they are listening with interest rather than looking bored. Make efforts to connect with all your guests and spend time connecting them with each other. A good hostess will always introduce people to each other and steer conversations, or socially engineer the Oscars party so that everyone has a chance to talk.

Everything I’ve already mentioned (décor, food etc) is important, but understanding the “why” of the gathering (gratitude for having friends or family come together) is what really matters. Proper etiquette is not about outmoded manners and specific rules of conduct, but instead about situational awareness. Hosts should be observant, aware of other people’s needs/comfort, and do their best to ensure that everyone is having a wonderful time.

In conclusion, do as much preparation as possible for your party beforehand. Preparing in advance will give you an opportunity to enjoy your party. Bring your party to life and create an atmosphere so that your guests will feel like they have been to the Oscars after they leave your home.

About Lisa

Lisa Burdette

Lisa Burdette is the founder of The Dallas School of Etiquette, where she trains everyone from executives to cadets in the timeless art of courtesy. A mother of six and a graduate of Auburn University, she has studied etiquette in London, Paris, Washington, and beyond. She believes true etiquette isn’t about being fancy — it’s about how you make people feel.

Readers can send their etiquette questions to [email protected]

Missed the last column? Click here to read:Burdet-tiquette: Preparing College Students With Proper Etiquette

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Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (2026)

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (2026)

Best Picture (2026)