The great and the good of the film industry are gathering in rain-soaked Los Angeles for the 86th Academy Awards.
Bad weather has wreaked havoc with pre-Oscar plans. Dozens of workers have spent the past 48 hours securing the red carpet from the pelting rain and overflowing street gutters.
Workers cleared pools of water that had collected on top of the tent built to shield stars from the rain, while others plugged any leaks.
But the heavy rain is expected to die down just hours before the awards kick off in Hollywood.
Irish hopes lie with Michael Fassbender and U2, with many keeping a close eye on the fortunes of Philomena.
Fassbender received his first Oscar nomination for 12 Years a Slave, while U2's track, Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, has been nominated for best song.
U2 were previously nominated for an Oscar in 2003 for The Hands That Built America from Gangs of New York.
The band will perform at tonight's show along with Pharrell Williams and Broadway star Idina Menzel.
Gravity and American Hustle are among the frontrunners for the best film category.
Both films lead the pack with 10 nominations each including nods for Sandra Bullock and Amy Adams respectively for the best actress Oscar.
They face competition from Dame Judi Dench who is nominated for the title role in Philomena.
The film, based on the true story of a woman's search for the son she was forced to give up for adoption in 1950s Ireland, is also shortlisted for best picture and Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope are nominated for best adapted screenplay.
The best actress shortlist is completed by Cate Blanchett, the star of Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, and Meryl Streep for August: Osage County.
The show which begins at 1.30am Irish time is presented for the second year by talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres.
2014 Nominations:
Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Christian Bale for American Hustle
Bruce Dern for Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club
Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Amy Adams for American Hustle
Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock for Gravity
Judi Dench for Philomena
Meryl Streep for August: Osage County
Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper for American Hustle
Michael Fassbender for 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill for The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club
Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Sally Hawkins for Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o for 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts for August: Osage County
June Squibb for Nebraska
Achievement in directing:
David O. Russell for American Hustle
Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity
Alexander Payne for Nebraska
Steve McQueen for 12 Years A Slave
Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street
Best motion picture of the year:
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score):
John Williams for The Book Thief
Steven Price for Gravity
William Butler and Owen Pallett for Her
Alexandre Desplat for Philomena
Thomas Newman for Saving Mr Banks
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song):
Bruce Broughton and Dennis Spiegel for Alone Yet Not Alone from Alone Yet Not Alone
Pharrell Williams for Happy from Despicable Me 2
Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez for Let It Go from Frozen
Karen O and Spike Jonze for The Moon Song from Her
U2 for Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Adapted screenplay:
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke for Before Midnight
Billy Ray for Captain Phillips
Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for Philomena
John Ridley for 12 Years a Slave
Terence Winter for The Wolf of Wall Street
Original screenplay:
Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell for American Hustle
Woody Allen for Blue Jasmine
Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack for Dallas Buyers Club
Spike Jonze for Her
Bob Nelson for Nebraska
