The 94th Academy Awards, Hollywood’s big night returned on Sunday night (3-27).
CODA, won all three of its nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor, which went to Troy Kotsur.
Out of ten nods, Dune took home six Oscars, including Best Cinematography, Visual Effects and Best Production Design. Jane Campion won Best Director for Power of The Dog.
There were plenty of funny moments and jabs to the audience by hosts Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes who seamlessly steered the evening.
Chris Rock will be remembered for taking a joke too far about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett. While Chris Rock was still talking, Will walked up to the stage and pretended to hit him. At first it seemed scripted, until he sat back down and the show was muted while he seemed to cuss at Chris Rock from his seat.
Later, during Will Smith’s acceptance speech for Best Actor, he acknowledged what happened. He talked about how his character in King Richard protected women. And in tears, he said, “I want to be an ambassador of that kind of love and concern.” He then apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees.
Jessica Chastain won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
There were several highlights including a salute to the 50th anniversary of The God Father. Francis Ford Coppola made a speech with Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro at his side. There were also mentions of, and some wore blue ribbons in support of Ukraine throughout the evening.
Billie Eilish with her brother Finneas won Best Song for “No Time To Die.” They also performed along with other nominees Beyoncé, Reba McEntire, and Sebastián Yatra.
Keeping in-step with shows in the past… the even ran 3 and a half hours long.
WINNERS
Best Picture
- CODA
Actor in a Leading Role
- Will Smith, King Richard
Actress in a Leading Role
- Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Animated Feature Film
- Encanto
Cinematography
- Dune, Greig Fraser
Directing
- Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Documentary Feature
- Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Documentary Short Subject
- The Queen of Basketball
International Feature Film
- Drive My Car (Japan)
Original Song
- “No Time To Die” from No Time to Die, music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell
Production Design
- Dune, Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos
Visual Effects
- Dune, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer
Makeup and Hairstyling
- The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh
Film Editing
- Dune, Joe Walker
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Troy Kotsur, CODA
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Ariana DeBose, West Side Story”
Live Action Short Film
- The Long Goodbye
Animated Short Film
- he Windshield Wiper
Original Screenplay
- Belfast (Kenneth Branagh)
Adapted Screenplay
- Siân Heder, CODA
Original Score
- Dune, Hans Zimmer
Sound
- Dune, Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett
Costume Design
- Cruella, Jenny Beavan
