The 2024 Oscars: Winners, Shocking Moments and Kenergy
The Oppenheimer cast and crew (Courtesy of Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The 2024 Oscars, a star-studded extravaganza that spanned over three hours, concluded late last night. The event, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, unfolded at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and was broadcast on ABC.
The evening commenced with a red carpet pre-show, hosted by Vanessa Hudgens and Julianne Hough. As the stars paraded down the carpet, their outfits were adorned with a variety of pins, symbolizing different causes.
Among the most prominent pins was the Artists4Ceasefire symbol, a call for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation between Israel and Hamas. This pin was worn by renowned celebrities such as Billie Eilish, Finneas, Ramy Youssef, and Mark Ruffalo. Marvel Studios founder Avi Avrad donned a yellow ribbon, a symbol of the Bring them Home campaign, dedicated to the safe return of innocent Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Other notable pins included the “Pay Equity Now” and “Protect Trans Kids” pins.
Jimmy Kimmel set the tone for the night with a thirteen-minute monologue that humorously addressed the nominees and controversial topics such as Barbie’s lack of female nominations and the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Jimmy Kimmel hosted this year's Oscars for the fourth time (Courtesy of DISNEY/MARK SELIGER)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, star of The Holdovers, was the first to bring home an Oscar, clinching the award for Best Supporting Actress. She began her acceptance speech saying, “I didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career,” she said. “I started off as a singer, and my mother said to me, ‘Go across that street to that theater department. There’s something for you there.’ And I thank my mother for doing that.” She continued her speech by expressing gratitude to those who have stood by her throughout her career. She also shared a personal insight about her journey to self-acceptance, “For so long. I’ve always wanted to be different,” she said. “Now I realize I just need to be myself, and I thank you for seeing me.”
The Best Supporting Actor award was bestowed upon Robert Downey Jr. for his performance in Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed film, “Oppenheimer.” Known primarily for his portrayal of Marvel’s Iron Man, Downey, a three-time nominee, finally had his moment in the spotlight. His acceptance speech was a blend of humor and sincerity. “I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy, in that order,” he said. Robert Downey Jr. also went on to thank his wife, stylist and publicist. He concluded his speech by thanking his entertainment lawyer who he noted spent many years, “trying to get me insured and bailing me out of the hoosegow."
Oppenheimer unsurprisingly won a total of seven awards throughout the night out of its thirteen nominations, including three of the most prominent, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Picture. Cillian Murphy who won the award for Best Actor thanked longtime collaborator and director of the film Christopher Nolan as well as his producer-wife Emma Thomas. “It’s been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying journey you’ve taken me on over the last 20 years, I owe you more than I can say,” said Murphy, who added he was a proud Irishman in his speech. “We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb, and for better or for worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world. I would really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere.” Al Pacino presented the category for Best Picture in celebration of the 50th anniversary of “The Godfather Part II.”
In a more surprising twist, Emma Stone, a five-time nominee and now two-time winner, won the Best Actress award for her performance in “Poor Things.” She triumphed over Lily Gladstone, who was favored for her role in “Killer’s of the Flower Moon” and would have been the first Native American to win the award. During her acceptance speech, Stone acknowledged her fellow nominees. “The women in this category – Sandra, Annette, Carey, Lily – I share this with you,” she expressed. “I’m in awe of you. It’s been such an honor to do all of this together. I hope we get to keep doing more together.” She also drew attention to a wardrobe malfunction with her Louis Vuitton gown. “My dress is broken,” she informed the audience, attributing the mishap to Ryan Gosling’s “Barbie” performance. “I think it happened during ‘I’m just Ken.’ I’m pretty sure.”
Stone pictured suffering a Wardrobe malfunction (Courtesy of Myung J. Chun/Getty Images)
The night was filled with memorable moments, one of which was the performance Stone quipped about. Ryan Gosling, nominated for his role as Ken in the summer blockbuster “Barbie,” delivered an electrifying rendition of the viral sensation from Barbie, “I’m Just Ken." The performance, reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” featured a full ensemble of ‘Kens,’ as well as songwriter Mark Ronson, and Slash on the guitar. Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell received a standing ovation for their rendition of Barbie’s, “What Was I Made For?”
Other musical highlights included Jon Batiste’s performance of “It Never Went Away” from the Netflix documentary American Symphony, Becky G’s rendition of Diane Warren’s 15-time nominated tune “The Fire Inside”, and the Osage Singers’ performance of the original tribal song “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)”.
The Best Original Song Oscar went to Eilish and O’Connell, their second win after composing the James Bond theme, “No Time to Die.” Oppenheimer’s Ludwig Göransson also netted his second win for best original score.
Ryan Gosling performs at the 2024 Oscars (Courtesy of PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP via Getty Image)
The UK won its first Oscar for best international feature with “The Zone of Interest.” Jonathan Glazer, the writer-director, accepted the award and made a controversial statement: “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people - whether the victims of Oct. 7 in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all are victims of this dehumanization.”
The Oscar for the best documentary feature was given to “20 Days in Mariupol,” marking the first time a Ukrainian film has received this honor. The director, Mstyslav Chernov, expressed a deep sentiment, stating, “Probably I will be the first director on this stage who says I wish I never made this film.” He wished for a different reality where his film wouldn’t have been necessary - a world where Ukraine was never attacked by Russia. He highlighted the role of cinema in preserving memories and shaping history, ensuring that the truth about Mariupol and its fallen heroes will never be forgotten.
The Oscar for adapted screenplay went to the writer-director of “American Fiction” for the film based on Percival Everett’s novel “Erasure.” In an applauded speech, the director urged the industry to take more risks, stating, “Instead of making one $200 million dollar movie, try making 20 $10 million movies.”
‘American Fiction's Cord Jefferson Accepting Adapted Screenplay Oscar (Courtesy of Deadline)
“Anatomy of a Fall” by Neon won the Oscar for best original screenplay. Director Justine Triet, accepting the award, humorously noted, “This will help me through my midlife crisis, I think.” Wes Anderson won for best live action short for “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” but was absent from the ceremony. Hayao Miyazaki also won his second Oscar for best animated feature with “The Boy and the Heron.” The Oscars for best documentary and animated shorts went to “The Last Repair Shop” and “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko,”with Sean Ono Lennon joining the latter’s directors onstage.
In the technical categories, “Poor Things” won Oscars for best makeup and hairstyling, production design, and costume design. Meanwhile, “Oppenheimer” bagged the awards for best cinematography and editing. The best visual effects award was bestowed upon the team behind Toho’s “Godzilla Minus One.” This film, under the direction of Takashi Yamazaki, a member of the Oscar-winning visual effects team, is the first from the Godzilla series to receive an Oscar nomination. Additionally, despite facing fierce competition, “The Zone of Interest” emerged victorious, securing the Oscar for best sound.
The In Memoriam, which occurred during the latter part of the evening, paid a beautiful tribute to the filmmakers, actors, executives and craftspeople who passed away this year. The performance was sung by Andrea Bocelli and Matteo Bocelli.
In a first-of-its-kind event at the Oscars, past winners teamed up with the previous year’s recipients to introduce the nominees. The best supporting actress award was presented by a star-studded group including Jamie Lee Curtis, Regina King, Rita Moreno, Lupita Nyong’o, and Mary Steenburgen. The best supporting actor was introduced by the likes of Mahershala Ali, Ke Huy Quan, Tim Robbins, Sam Rockwell, and Christoph Waltz. The best actor award was announced by Nicolas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Ben Kingsley, Matthew McConaughey, and Forest Whitak
Other categories were presented by a diverse group of celebrities including Ariana Grande, Chris Hemsworth, Stephen Spielberg, and Zendaya. In a humorous tribute to an incident at the Oscars 50 years ago, John Cena made a surprise appearance on stage, completely nude, echoing the time when actor David Niven was taken aback by a streaker.
John Cena onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards (Courtesty of Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Despite an earlier start than usual, the night was delayed as Pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of Hollywood, disrupting traffic and the attendees’ route into the theatre. However, the Oscars managed to wrap up five minutes ahead of schedule. The night concluded with a moment from host Jimmy Kimmel, who responded to a scathing review posted by former President Donald Trump on Truth Social.
Trump had criticized Kimmel’s hosting skills, stating, “Has there EVER been a WORSE [sic] HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at the Oscars. His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be.” Unfazed, Kimmel retorted on air, “I’m surprised you’re still up. Isn’t it past your jail time?”
The night gave way to the allure of prestigious afterparties. Attendees flocked to events like the Governors Ball and other star-studded gatherings hosted by Vanity Fair and Elton John, carrying with them the excitement and glamor of the Oscars into the early hours of the morning.