Awards Lin-Manuel Miranda's Mother Joins Him on the Oscars Red Carpet: 'I Knew He Would Be Here One Day' "From the time he was tiny he was really special," says Luz Towns-Miranda, Lin-Manuel Miranda's mother By Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble is a Senior Digital News Editor and the Sports Editor for PEOPLE Digital. She's worked at PEOPLE for over seven years as a writer, reporter and editor across our Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams, covering everything from the Super Bowl to the Met Gala. She's been nominated for the ASME NEXT Awards for Journalists Under 30, and previously wrote for Us Weekly while on staff at Wenner Media. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 26, 2017 07:35 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s No. 1 supporter has been in his fan club for a long time. Thirty-seven years, to be exact. The actor – who is up for an EGOT at the 2017 Academy Awards on Sunday – brought his mother, Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda, as his date for the big night. Speaking to PEOPLE Deputy Editor JD Heyman on the red carpet, Towns-Miranda gushes of her son, “From the time he was tiny, he was really special.” “I knew that he would be here one day and I told him, ‘I’m gonna be with you,’ ” she adds. Miranda, 37, is nominated for his Moana song “How Far I’ll Go.” He previously discussed having his mother’s support during an appearance on the Rachael Ray Show, saying, “I remember my mom – as a kid – saying, ‘When you get nominated for an Oscar, I’m your date.’ That’s such a pie-in-the-sky thing to say.” “But she sort of always believed, I think she believed even before I did, so I’m thrilled to get to keep that promise,” he said. PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly’s Red Carpet Live streaming pre-show is giving fans an inside look into this year’s Oscars. PEOPLE Deputy Editor Heyman and Lola Ogunnaike, host of PEOPLE/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN’s) Entertainment Weekly: The Show, will be on the red carpet in L.A. while PEOPLE Now hosts Jeremy Parsons and Andrea Boehlke will lead the panel discussions from our N.Y.C. studio with the Time Inc. experts. And PEOPLE and EW editorial director Jess Cagle will give a behind-the-scenes look at Oscars prep. RELATED VIDEO:What Movie Makes Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Nicole Kidman Cry? Watch the PEOPLE and EW Red Carpet Live Oscars pre-show on Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on the People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). Go to PEOPLE.com/PEN, or download the app on your favorite device. Then watch our Red Carpet Fashion Wrap-Up after the Oscars! With PEOPLE’s Oscars Fan Experience, viewers can participate by sending in videos about their favorites to win an Oscar to Burst.com/Oscars. Through the Oscars Fan Experience Sweepstakes, hundreds of VIP subscribers will sit in front-row seats at the Oscars red carpet, followed by an exclusive viewing party right across the street from the ceremony. Check out PEOPLE’s full 2017 Academy Awards coverage and complete winners list! The Academy Awards kicks off live on ABC on Sunday,Feb. 26, with a 7 p.m. ET pre-show and 8:30 p.m. ceremony. See all the Oscar nominees and get your own ballot here!