Meow! Doja Cat gets wild in catty Oscars dress

Doja Cat brought big cat energy to the 2025 Oscars red carpet − literally.

Ahead of Sunday night's 97th annual Academy Awards ceremony, the rapper and vocalist walked the carpet in a floor-length Balmain cheetah print gown with a matching draped neckpiece.

The fabric, seemingly a wink to her stage name, was cinched into a mermaid silhouette and given extra dazzle by a sequined sheen. The look was paired with chunky gold jewelry, accessorized with a prominent pendant necklace and large heart-shaped earrings.

Before stars and filmmakers gathered in Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre to celebrate the biggest night in cinema, stars including Goldie Hawn, Zoe Saldaña and Demi Moore also sauntered down the red carpet and struck a pose in fashions worthy of their own statuette.

Other standout looks included a "Wicked" princess pink getup from Ariana Grande, a shimmering silver look from Halle Berry and a crystal-embedded gown from Selena Gomez.

Doja Cat is set to perform at Sunday's ceremony, joining Queen Latifah, Cynthia Erivo, Grande, Lisa of Blackpink, and Raye, for the night's intermittent musical moments.

The show, which has traditionally spotlighted the tunes nominated for best original song, has taken a different approach this year, instead using performances to "(celebrate) the filmmaking community and some of its legends," according to producers.

Latifah will perform a Quincy Jones tribute while Erivo and Grande opened the show with renditions of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Home" from "The Wiz," respectively.

Comedian Conan O'Brien will serve as the master of ceremonies as the year's most celebrated films vie for the most coveted honor of awards season.

Contributing: Erin Jensen, Paste BN