An Oscar party is any of the various parties, usually held by entertainment-media corporations, immediately following the broadcast of the Academy Awards ceremony. Some sponsors, such as Vanity Fair magazine, are known for holding such a party year after year, and the influence of the sponsor can be roughly measured by the caliber of the stars that attend their party. In recent years, many of these events have adopted a charitable theme, such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party.

Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriter partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date.

In his four-decade career John has sold more than 250 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single "Candle in the Wind 1997" has sold over 33 million copies worldwide, and is the best selling single in Billboard history. He has more than 50 Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums, 56 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, four No. 2 hits, and nine No. 1 hits. He has won six Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him Number 49 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.

John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Having been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996, John received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for "services to music and charitable services" in 1998.

Edward John David "Eddie" Redmayne (born 6 January 1982) is an English actor and model. Redmayne won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the West End and Broadway productions of the play Red. He also received the Critics Circle Award for Best Shakespearean Performance for his portrayal of Richard II at London's Donmar Warehouse.

Redmayne was born in London, England. He attended Eton College and studied History of Art at Trinity College, Cambridge, whence he graduated with a 2:1 in 2003.

Redmayne made his professional stage debut for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in Twelfth Night at the Middle Temple Hall in 2002. He won the award for Outstanding Newcomer at the 50th Evening Standard Theatre Awards (2004) for his performance in Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?, and the award for Best Newcomer at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards in 2005. Later stage credits include Now or Later by Christopher Shinn at the Royal Court Theatre. The show ran from 3 September to 18 October 2008. In 2009 Redmayne appeared in John Logan's new play Red at the Donmar Warehouse in London, for which he won the 2010 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He reprised his role in Red at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway in a 15-week run from 11 March to 27 June 2010 and won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. He portrayed King Richard II in Richard II directed by Michael Grandage at Donmar Warehouse from 6 December 2011 to 4 February 2012.