It was a night of high glamour – diamonds, couture dresses and A-listers – and should have been the usual spectacle of very rich, very beautiful and very talented artists congratulating each other on a good year for cinema.
Everyone expected that the Barbenheimer boost, which saw the box office soaring, would have a knock on effect and produce a vintage Oscars.
But with nudity, jokes about incest, political controversy and plain old bad taste, plus a hefty dollop of angst about wars, was this the night that the Oscars fumbled the ball?
There was instant outrage when Native American actress Lily Gladstone failed to win for her performance as Mollie Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon and even the climax of the night, the announcement of Best Picture, seemed to go awry.
Veteran actor Al Pacino, 83, seemed to struggle to stay on script in a short preamble, before opening his envelope and saying: ‘My eyes see Oppenheimer.’ That brought nervous giggles from some quarters of the auditorium.
It was Oppenheimer’s night with the film taking seven Oscars having been nominated for 13.
There were gasps in the room when Emma Stone’s name was read out as Best Actress at the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday
Stone, who previously won for LaLa Land, said that she was overwhelmed and added that the zip on her dress had broken
Veteran actor Al Pacino , 83, seemed to struggle to stay on script in a short preamble before announcing Oppenheimer won Best Picture
Conversely it was a bad night for Barbie, which had eight nominations but came away with just one award, for the song What Was I Made For, by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell.
Despite a barnstorming performance of I’m Just Ken by Ryan Gosling, which saw many of the A-listers in the room joining in with the song, and despite its colossal financial success, it was largely shut out.
Was one Oscar Kenough reward for the biggest film of the year which was very clearly popular in the room?
It was an even worse night for Maestro, Bradley Cooper’s passion project about the composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. Maestro was nominated for seven Oscars and came away without a single one. Cooper was also beaten once again in the race for Best Actor, at the third time of asking.
Cooper also had to endure some bad-taste teasing from host Jimmy Kimmel about his habit of bringing his devoted mother Gloria as his date to awards.
Kimmel said: ‘Bradley brings his mother to every awards show. How any times can you bring your mum as your date before you are dating your mum? Are you working on a movie about Freud right now and not telling us?’
He is dating supermodel Gigi Hadid but the couple didn’t make any appearances together at pre-Oscars parties and opted not to go to the Vanity Fair party either.
There were some moments of delight, such as a cut away showing Messi the dog, a star of Anatomy of a Fall ‘clapping’, and some found John Cena’s naked sketch funny.
Actor and former wrestler Cena came on naked aside from a strategically placed gold envelope to announce the winner of the Costume Design Oscar.
The first Oppen-Oscar went to Robert Downey Jr., who won best supporting actor just as had been predicted and made a gracious, gag-filled speech.
He said: ‘I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and The Academy, in that order. I’d like to thank my — veterinarian — I meant wife, Susan Downey over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet and you loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here. Thank you.’
Jimmy Kimmel roasted Robert Downey Jr’s manhood and past drug use and teased Bradley Cooper about bringing his mum to award shows
The first Oppen-Oscar went to Robert Downey Jr., who won best supporting actor
Bradley Cooper’s passion project about the composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein was nominated for seven Oscars but came away without a single one
He went on: ‘Here’s my little secret. I needed this job more than it needed me. (Director) Chris (Nolan) knew it, (producer) Emma (Thomas) made sure that she surrounded me with one of the great casts and crews of all time, Emily, Cillian, it was fantastic.
‘And I stand here before you a better man because of it. What we do is meaningful, and the stuff that we decide to make is important.’
He shrugged off the outrage which greeted a drug gag seemingly improvised by host Kimmel after Downey Jr. touched his nose during his opening monologue. He had also looked unamused when Kimmel asked him: ‘Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket or do you just have a very rectangular penis?
Cillian Murphy became the first Irish-born winner of a Best Actor Oscar and won a standing ovation from the crowd which made him chuckle in delight. He said: ‘It’s been the wildest most exhilarating most creatively satisfying ride.’
Addressing director Chris Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas he said: ‘I owe you so much thank you. I’m a very proud Irishman standing here tonight.
‘You know we made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb for better or for worse. We are all living in Oppenheimer’s world so I would really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere.’
Actor and wrestler John Cena entered the stage naked with a strategically placed gold envelope to announce the winner for Costume Design
Some in the crowd appeared to find Cena’s naked sketch funny
Accepting an Oscar for directing, Nolan paid tribute to his cast and crew. He added: ‘Thank you do those who have been there for me and believed in me for my whole career, the incredible Emma Thomas, the producer of all our films and all our children, I love you.
‘To the Academy. Just to say movies are just over 100 years old. Imagine being there 100 years into theatre or painting and we don’t know where we are going to go, but to know that you think I am a meaningful part of it means the world to me.’
Cinematography went to Hoyte van Hoytema, previously nominated for Christopher Nolans film Dunkirk. From the stage van Hoytema said: ‘Woah, steady. To all the aspiring film makers out there I would like to say please try shooting that incredible hip new thing celluloid.. it makes things look so much better.’
Jennifer Lame won achievement in film editing for Oppenheimer. She said: ‘Emma Thomas you amaze me… Chris Nolan you are okay too. I was terrified when you first hired me but you instilled so much confidence in me.’
She later said: ‘So many people came to me and didn’t think the film was too long even though it was three hours. I have so many favourite scenes with Cillian. I was mesmerised by his performance. You wanted to know who he was even though he is inscrutable.’
Ludwig Goransson won best original score for Oppenheimer. He said that it had been Nolan’s idea to use a violin as the motif. He thanked his parents for giving him guitars and drum machines instead of video games.
The best picture Oscar was accepted by Nolan’s wife Emma Thomas. She said: ‘All of us who make movies know that you dream of this moment. I could deny it but I have been dreaming of this for so long and now it has happened. The reason that this is the movie that it is, is Chris Nolan he is singular and he is brilliant and I am so grateful to you.’
There were gasps in the room when Emma Stone’s name was read out as Best Actress for her fearless performance as Bella Baxter in Poor Things. It had been a neck and neck actress race between Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon and Emma Stone for Poor Things, but many felt that Gladstone was going to clinch the statuette.
Stone, who previously won for LaLa Land, said that she was overwhelmed and added that the zip on her dress had broken, adding: ‘I think it happened during ‘I’m Just Ken.’ She said: ‘This is really overwhelming. Sorry. My voice has gone The other night I was panicking as you can see it happens a lot and Yorgos said to me please take yourself out of it and he’ss right its not about me its about a team that came together to make something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Yorgos thank you for the gift of a lifetime in Bella Baxter.’
Ryan Gosling gave a barnstorming performance of I’m Just Ken, which saw many of the A-listers in the room joining in
However, Gosling was shut out in favour of Robert Downey Jr, and Oppenheimer won Best Picture
The cerebral epic about the life of Robert J Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, didn’t have everything go its way.
Notably it lost out out on the sound Oscar to The Zone of Interest, a British film about the Holocaust in which the murders in Auschwitz are conveyed only as background noises.
It also lost out on Costume Design and Hair and Makeup to the Yorgos Lanthimos sex comedy Poor Things.
Some of the most surprising results saw Barbie lose out on production design and costume design. More predictably, Ryan Gosling was shut out in favour of Robert Downey Jr, and Oppenheimer won Best Picture.
Kimmel said in his opening monologue: ‘Here we are, all dressed up, celebrating the best of the best, beginning with the biggest movie of the year, Barbie. Barbie was a monster hit.
‘What a thing. What an achievement to take a plastic doll nobody even liked anymore, I mean, my wife, before this movie, you would had a better chance getting my wife to buy my daughter a pack of Marlboro Reds than a Barbie doll. Now Barbie is a feminist icon, thanks to Greta Gerwig, who many believed deserved to nominated for best director tonight.
‘Hold on a second. I know you’re clapping, but you’re the ones who didn’t vote for her, by the way. Don’t act like you had nothing to do with this.’
The hostilities in Gaza were on the minds of many on Sunday night, with some attendees having to walk the final few yards to the venue after pro-Palestinian protestors closed some roads. Pop star and actress Ariana Grande was among those to be held up. Singer Billie Eilish wore a pin supporting efforts to bring peace.
Accepting the Oscar for documentary feature film 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstylslav Chernov said that this was the first Academy Award in Ukrainian film history.
He said: ‘I will probably be the first director on the stage to say I wish I had never made this film. I wish to exchange this (Oscar) for Russia never invading Ukraine, never occupying our cities, to Russia not killing tens of thousands of Ukrainians.’ He went on: ‘I cannot change history, cannot change the past. We can make sure that the history record is set straight and that the truth will prevail and the people of Mariupol and those who have given their lives will never be forgotten.’
Animated short film was won by War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko. Their son Sean Ono Lennon was an executive producer on the film which follows two soldiers on opposite sides of a battle playing chess while communicating through carrier pigeon.
Sean Ono Lennon flashed peace signs from the stage of the Dolby Theatre. He said: ‘My mum turned 91 last month and today is mother’s day in the UK, so can everyone please say happy mother’s day Yoko!’ Producer Dave Mullins said later: ‘We would like people to talk a little more, kill a little less, I know that sounds naïve.’
The first award of the night was presented to Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who won best actress in a supporting role for playing grieving mother Mary Lamb in The Holdovers.
In an emotional speech she thanked God, her drama teacher, her mother and her publicist, adding: ‘I am so grateful for all the women who have been by my side.’
She added: ‘You know, I — I didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career. 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. I thank you to all the people who have stepped in my path and has been there for me, who has ushered me and guided me.
I am so grateful to all of you beautiful people out there.
Cillian Murphy became the first Irish-born winner of a Best Actor Oscar
Leading actress Sandra Huller cried during a speech about the conflict in the Middle East
For so long I’ve always wanted to be different, and now I realize I just need to be myself. Ron Van Lieu, I thank you when I was the only black girl in that class, when you saw me and you told me I was enough.
And when I told you I don’t see myself, you said, ‘That’s fine. We’re going to forge our own path. You’re going to lay a trail for yourself.’
The best original screenplay went to Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. Triet said: ‘Thank you so much, it will help me through my mid life crisis I think. This is a crazy year.
The glamour of tonight contrasts slightly with writing… I was stuck in the house with two kids it was lockdown. We hooked them up to cartoons to have peace.’ Harari added: ‘It was like mixed doubles ping pong played by neurotic French.’
Triet later said that they had wanted to have Dolly Parton’s song Jolene playing on repeat in the film but failed to get the rights so they ended up with the 50 Cent Song PIMP.
Best adapted screenplay was American Fiction – the first upset of the night, beating Barbie, Poor Things, Oppenheimer and The Zone of Interest.
Writer Cord Jefferson used the platform to make the case for lower budget films. ‘Instead of making one $200 million movie try making twenty $10 million movies.
I want other people to experience that joy. The next Scorsese is out there the next Greta (Gerwig) the next Christopher Nolan.
This has changed my life thank you for trusting a 40 year old black guy who has never directed a movie before.’
Afterwards he said that it had been important to show diversity within diversity in the film, which is about a professor who writes a satire of a ‘black’ book only for the liberal elite to hail it as a masterpiece.
He said: ‘As Victor Hugo said, nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. We didn’t have a big marketing budget so we relied on word of mouth a lot.
Hopefully the lesson here is that there is an audience here for things that are different.
A story with black characters that is going to appeal to a lot of people doesn’t need to take place in a plantation in the projects to have drug dealers in it.’
There was instant outrage when Native American actress Lily Gladstone failed to win for her performance as Mollie Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon
The song What Was I Made For, by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell won an award for Barbie
Another surprise was the win for animated film The Boy and The Heron over Spider-man: Across The Spiderverse.
Poor Things won Best Make Up and Hairstyling, again a surprise as many had thought that this was Maestro’s best chance to convert one of its nominations into a win.
Production design – which many thought might go to Barbie- went to Poor Things. Accepting the Oscar, James Price said: ‘This is crazy! I feel in the mood for love and custard tarts.’
Again, many thought that Barbie would win costume design, and again this went to Poor Things.
The Zone of Interest – about Rudolf Hess and his family living just outside Auschwitz, was Britain’s interest in the best international film category and won.
Writer and director Jonathan Glazer said: ‘All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say look what they did then, but rather look what we do now.’ Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst.
‘It’s shaped all of our past and present. 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 October — whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?’
Leading actress Sandra Huller cried copiously as he spoke.
Visual effects went to Oscar Godzilla Minus One. Documentary short film was won by The Last Repair Shop.