Everything You Need to Know About the 2016 Oscars

The 88th annual Academy Awards will take place on Feb. 28 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will air on ABC at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST.

• The Governors Ball: The fete is the official Oscars afterparty and this year, it will take place at the Hollywood and Highland Center in LA. Last year, a bevy of famous faces, including Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, and John Legend, attended the soiree.
• Vanity Fair Oscar Party: Vanity Fair will host its annual bash at the Wallis Annenberg Center For the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, CA. We caught a glimpse of Jennifer Aniston, Jared Leto, and Beyoncé at last year's event.
• Elton John's AIDS Foundation party: The Elton John AIDS Foundation will host its annual Academy Awards viewing dinner and afterparty at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. Last year's bash included stars like Miley Cyrus, Heidi Klum, and Gigi Hadid.
• The Night of 100 Stars Gala: The 26th annual soiree will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills and will be hosted by Norby Walters. Guests include entertainment industry executives, TV stars, and actors, as well as previous Oscar winners and nominees.
• The Weinstein Company party: The bash will take place at the members-only Soho House in West Hollywood. Guests from previous years included Leonardo DiCaprio, Katy Perry, and Meryl Streep.

Ever since this year's Oscar nominees were announced, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the nominations. Not only were there several snubs and surprises, but there has been an entire debate about the lack of diversity, resulting in #OscarsSoWhite coming back. Stars like David Oyelowo, George Clooney, and Idris Elba have all weighed in on the subject, as well as Jada Pinkett Smith — who even went as far as to boycott the show.

In a Facebook video, which Jada appropriately titled "We must stand in our power," the actress explained her decision, saying, "I can't help but ask the question: Is it time that people of color recognize how much power, influence that we have amassed, that we no longer need to ask to be invited anywhere?" Days later, former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Janet Hubert responded to Jada, saying, "Girlfriend, there's a lot of sh*t going on in the world that you all don't seem to recognize. People are dying. Our boys are being shot left and right. People are hungry . . . and you're talking about some motherf*cking actors and Oscars. It just ain't that deep."