17th Governors Awards

How to get in

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Los Angeles — Board of Governors.

No seat is put on sale. Tables are reserved by the studios and the Academy's partners; there is no legitimate purchase route for a private individual.

The turnkey stay

On 15 November 2026 — a Sunday — the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood hosts the 17th edition of the Governors Awards: the black-tie dinner at which the Academy presents its Honorary Oscars, among peers, with no television broadcast, at the top of the complex that houses the Dolby Theatre. It is the evening that unofficially opens awards season — red carpet, round tables, statuettes handed over in person, all of Hollywood gathered on a single floor above Hollywood Boulevard. Around it, the neighbourhood plays its part: the Walk of Fame below the windows, Hollywood's oldest dining room a step away, the Beverly Hills palace hotels within reach by chauffeured car.

Where to stay

• The Hollywood Roosevelt — At 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, across the boulevard, a few minutes' walk from Ovation Hollywood: you reach the Ray Dolby Ballroom in black tie, without a car. Opened in 1927, the hotel has kept its Tropicana pool with its floor painted by David Hockney, the Library Bar, the Shirley Brasserie and the discreet cabaret of the Spare Room. The shortest address between your suite and the evening.
• Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills — The Forbes Five Star palace hotel of Beverly Hills, at 9850 Wilshire Boulevard, to sleep far from the bustle of the boulevard. Rooftop pool, La Prairie spa, Tuscan steakhouse Baldi and the Gemma rooftop. The classic base for awards season, from which you drive down to Hollywood with a chauffeur.

Where to dine

• Musso & Frank Grill — Founded in 1919 on the same boulevard as the ceremony, at 6667 Hollywood Boulevard: a few minutes' walk from the Ray Dolby Ballroom. Still run by the same family, fourth generation, with its red banquettes and its waiters in red jackets — the room where old Hollywood signed its contracts for a century. Note: dinner service only, no lunch, and closed on Mondays (Tuesday-Saturday 5pm-11pm, Sunday 4pm-10pm). On 15 November the house opens at 4pm: the window is a drink at the bar before crossing the boulevard — otherwise, dinner on another evening of your stay.
• Providence — The great seafood table of Los Angeles, at 5955 Melrose Avenue, a few minutes' drive from Ovation Hollywood. Chef Michael Cimarusti, starred in the Michelin Guide, works only with wild, sustainable fish, mostly from American waters; the dining room is led by Donato Poto. Note: closed Sunday and Monday — as 15 November falls on a Sunday, book the evening before (Saturday, last service around 9.15pm).

What to experience

• Transfert privé en hélicoptère, Helinet Aviation Services — A California operator since 1987, accustomed to transporting artists and executives: event transfers and private flights over Los Angeles. The largest twin-engine fleet in Southern California — Sikorsky S-76 for up to eight passengers, Leonardo AW109 for up to six, Airbus AS350 for up to five — with an in-house dispatch reachable 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and a team trained in service by the Forbes Travel Guide.
• Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, visite et Oscars Experience — The museum of the Academy itself, the one that presents the Governors Awards, at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard. Group visits by reservation and, above all, the Oscars Experience in the East West Bank Gallery: the immersive simulation of walking on stage to receive the statuette (separate ticket, in addition to general admission). The ideal warm-up on the afternoon before the ceremony.