I’ll never forget the 75th Emmy Awards, when the carpet was not a customary red color but a puzzling silver that evoked concrete. The mistake was corrected the following year, and now, the Academy is learning from their mistakes.
Tonight, celebrities gathered at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th annual Oscar Awards. The Academy seemingly took a page out of the Emmys’ “what not to do” handbook by selecting an appealing backdrop and carpet that don’t take away from the glamorous fashion.
The background featured neutral colors that didn’t take away from the chic dresses, with “Oscars” written in bold, staggered block letters. The backdrop also had small streaks of red, but it was aesthetically pleasing because it matched the carpet’s classic crimson color.
The 2025 Oscars backdrop was noticeably more appealing than the one at the 75th Emmy Awards. At the time, the backdrop (aka step and repeat) was extremely busy, featuring “Fox” and “Emmys” written in white and gold, respectively, against a black background.
To top it off, the Television Academy opted for a gray carpet (instead of red). One of the biggest problems with the color choice was that it didn’t even look like a carpet—in fact, it almost looked like the celebs were posing on a concrete floor.
Now that this crisis has been avoided, I can finally enjoy the show.
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