Blanchett is nominated for best actress in a drama for her performance as fictional maestro Lydia Tár in the film TÁR.

Regardless of whether she wins, Blanchett would undoubtedly be feeling the pressure from all sides. It’s been some years since she graced the winner’s podium, most recently in 2014 for Blue Jasmine. Photo ops and red carpet interviews are vitally important from a career perspective, even for an actor who, at age 53, clearly has little to prove.

Less circumspect is Baz Luhrmann, who despite ranking as one of Australia’s most successful film directors on an international standing, has few “major league” trophies to show for it, unlike his wife and collaborator Catherine Martin, who has four Oscars for her work on production design and costumes for Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby.

Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis is up for best picture and also picked up two other nominations: for Luhrmann himself as best director, and Austin Butler, who plays Elvis, as best actor.

Hugh Jackman is nominated as best actor in a drama for The Son, while the dark horse of them all appears to be Margot Robbie, who has been nominated for best actress in a musical or comedy for her role in Damien Chazelle’s Babylon.

The former Neighbours star appears opposite Brad Pitt in the epic which tracks Hollywood’s transition from silent film to the ‘talkies’ in the 1920s, but Babylon has polarised critics for everything from its content to its length. Robbie’s performance appears to have earned the greatest favour among film critics. She is nominated alongside cinematic powerhouses including Emma Thompson, Lesley Manville and Michelle Yeoh.

Robbie, who will be in Sydney in a fortnight to launch the film in Australia – hopefully glowing with a new Globe under her belt – is yet to bag a major award in Hollywood, though she’s had several near misses including her powerhouse performance in I, Tonya. She has, however, appeared in a few too many duds but has also positioned herself away from the cameras as a producer of quality films.

This year will also see Robbie take on the titular role in the Barbie movie, which is generating a lot of buzz ahead of its July release.

Coronation

Exactly who, beyond Australia’s official party, will make it onto the guest list for King Charles III’s coronation on May 6 at London’s Westminster Abbey remains to be seen.

The new monarch has a long history of social connections in Australia, some stretching back to his time as a student at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop Campus to more recent connections, including close friend and hedge-fund billionaire Sir Michael Hintze. The businessman hosted the royal couple at his Deltroit Station near Tumblong, west of Wagga Wagga, just four years ago. In October, Hintze joined Britain’s House of Lords.

Further down the food chain, it will be the plight of the Australian media contingent heading to London which promises to be even more intriguing, given the behind-the-scenes dramas that unfolded during the coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral – most notably the lack of toilets and awkward collisions between rival TV networks – which PS is most looking forward to.

Television’s shifting sands

The great television reshuffle of 2023 will no doubt provide a rich stream of content this year, with the spotlight once again falling on Nine’s Today, which closed out 2022 still behind the leader Sunrise, despite a huge effort to reclaim the breakfast television crown.

Allison Langdon has reportedly taken a pay cut to slip into Tracy Grimshaw’s old chair on A Current Affair, opening the way for 60 Minutes alumnus Sarah Abo to show Australian audiences another side of her usually cool and composed broadcasting style as she assumes Today co-hosting duties alongside Karl Stefanovic, who remains contracted to the show until well into 2023.

And what is to become of Grimshaw, who remains under contract with Nine? The idea of her retiring from the game entirely seems a long way off, even after 40 years in the saddle.

Over at Seven’s Sunrise, the clock is officially ticking on breakfast veteran David Koch’s time as co-host, with his days on air gradually reducing until his contract expires at the end of 2024. Someone new could be soon sitting with Natalie Barr on television’s most-watched and seemingly indestructible couch.

While there are many months of screen tests and backroom lobbying from potential suitors, it would appear – at least to several insiders – that Koch’s heir apparent has already been chosen: former Olympian Matt Shirvington.

Meanwhile, will Sarah Harris be able to save The Project on Ten? Will there be chemistry or fireworks with Waleed Aly?

And what will the network do with one of its most expensive talents, Lisa Wilkinson, sitting in cold storage for the foreseeable future?

Say a prayer for Angela Bishop, the last woman standing at Studio 10, which has recorded some of the lowest ratings of any program on national commercial Australian morning television, ever.

How long will the ABC be able to hang onto former AFL player and Indigenous sportscaster Tony Armstrong? He has quickly risen through the television ranks to become one of the most popular names in the business.

What impact would his departure from the ABC’s popular News Breakfast show have on the rest of the team, which has championed inclusivity and given the commercial networks a run for their money on a fraction of the budget?

And what is to become of Leigh Sales, who is clearly able to do much more than introduce Australian Story each week?

Radio daze

With the explosive departure of Chris Smith, 2GB’s schedule is opening up for a new voice to shine on the talkback station. The big question is: who?

2GB bosses are already nurturing new talent in 2023 with the appointment of Chris O’Keefe to Jim Wilson’s old drive slot, while Wilson is tipped to assume Weekend Today co-hosting duties on the small screen to replace Charles Croucher, following his appointment as Nine’s chief political correspondent.

On the FM spectrum the seemingly indestructible Kyle Sandilands will no doubt deliver yet more controversy in 2023, though just how much appetite his nervous bosses at KIIS FM have for such unsavoury fare appears pretty limited given his antics in 2022.

PS hears KIIS FM’s bosses are growing increasingly anxious about media buyers and advertisers becoming fearful of being caught up in Sandilands’ engineered publicity storms.

He’s due back on air on January 16, along with his sidekick Jackie O who will return after an extended holiday to recover from long COVID.

Headline makers

In the world of publishing, the sudden departure of Are Media group publisher Fiona Connolly, as she was signing off for Christmas holidays, sent shockwaves through the corridors of Woman’s Day, New Idea, Who and TV Week.

Before departing, Connolly emailed stunned staff: “I have decided to step away from my role at Are Media to pursue my next adventure. I’m incredibly proud of all I’ve achieved … but I’m now ready to explore the opportunities of a rapidly developing media landscape here and internationally.”

Former newspaper reporter Connolly joined the old ACP in 2009 as the youngest-ever editor of Woman’s Day.

Her departure comes as the magazine business continues to struggle with the digital media landscape despite having some of the most recognised mastheads in the business. A replacement has not been announced.

Similarly, the sudden departure of Chris Dore, previously considered one of the Murdoch-controlled media empire’s anointed executives, from the helm of The Australian following an incident involving allegations of inappropriate behaviour, has cast a pall over the media company’s workplace culture.

Dore’s departure came at a bad time for News – along with Smith’s exit, News Corp columnist Peter Gleeson “ended his roles” at The Courier-Mail and Sky News after plagiarising several of his tabloid newspaper columns.

In the lead up to Christmas, The Guardian revealed another senior figure at The Australian was under investigation after staff drinks in Surry Hills.

With Lachlan Murdoch now living in Sydney – and showing a desire to take legal action to defend his business with his defamation action against the website Crikey – the continuing issues within the Australian operations have been felt all the way to the top.

Sporting chance

Having played in his 100th Test for Australia and scoring his first red-ball century in three years, 2023 looks to be the brightest for cricketer David Warner and his iron-woman wife Candice. The couple have endured more ups and downs in their respective careers and personal lives than most of their peers, yet have managed to remain focused, together and working.

As the Paris Olympics looms, swimmers Cody Simpson and Emma McKeon have managed to keep their love boat afloat. The darlings of celebrity sport have even been able to ink rival sponsorship deals (Simpson with the Melbourne Cup and McKeon with The Everest), navigate the frenetic world of social media, and launch an array of merchandise while remaining committed to their respective sporting careers.

Dynasties

James Packer was keen to let the world know he was “back” in 2022, telling PS he looked forward to catching up in March when he would finally spend a night in his gleaming new apartment high up in the Crown Casino tower at Barangaroo, arguably his most bittersweet achievement.

While Packer talked up plans to build a new resort with his close friend Robert “Bob” De Niro in Barbuda and said his mental health was the best it had been in years, some of his oldest friends have remained nervous.

Loading

Packer sees in the new year with several key changes occurring within his inner sanctum, most notably the departure of his long-serving lieutenant and media guard dog, Mark Arbib.

While the intensely private Packer spent part of 2022 emailing journalists, including PS, offering unsolicited story tips, his open candour appears to have paused. Packer was not responding to PS’s emails last week, though he was busy hosting Karl Stefanovic and his wife’s extended family in Aspen, all of it exhaustively covered – in extraordinary detail – on Instagram.