The 96th annual Academy Awards are over, officially ending the awards season. (About time, right?) And what a season it has been. From Barbie snubs to Oppenheimer domination, it’s been a season of highs, a few lows, and a lot of surprises. Let’s break down the winners, losers and the most shocking moments from this year’s Oscars.
Before we get to that, make sure you’re subscribed to the Parting Shot podcast and my newsletter, For the Culture. And if you missed my red carpet reactions, check that out, because the looks this year were wow.
TV host Jimmy Kimmel (L) looks on as US actor John Cena (R) presents the award for Best Costume Design onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on… TV host Jimmy Kimmel (L) looks on as US actor John Cena (R) presents the award for Best Costume Design onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 10, 2024. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Jimmy Kimmel hosted the ceremony this year, and honestly he was fine. I do feel like he’ll go down in history as one of the best Oscar hosts, up there with Bob Hope, Whoopi Goldberg, and, of course, Billy Crystal. He sets the right tone yet is able to make fun of the celebrities in a way that feels fun, not mean. And he somehow got John Cena to show up to the Oscars naked, who else can do that? (I don’t think anybody had John Cena appearing naked at the ceremony on their Oscar score card.)
The show went largely as planned, with many of the expected winners winning in their categories. For example, it was largely expected Oppenheimer and Poor Things would dominate in many of the technical categories. The real question was how would the two films do in the major categories. Well, Oppenheimer pulled out there. In total Oppenheimer won 7 awards, including Best Picture, while Poor Things took home 5.
As for the other winners, it was largely expected that the Supporting acting awards would go to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers and Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer. The same can be said for one of the leading Acting winners, Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer. However, the Best Actress winner was a shock, and that gets me to the surprises of the night.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Emma Stone accepts the Lead Actress award for “Poor Things” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin… HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Emma Stone accepts the Lead Actress award for “Poor Things” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The biggest surprise of the night was Emma Stone winning Best Actress for Poor Things. All season it had been a race between her and Lily Gladstone for The Killers of the Flower Moon. It seemed like Gladstone was going to be the winner because she won the Screen Actors Guild award, which is often an indicator of who will win the Oscar. Stone’s win tonight, her second—she previously won Best Actress in 2016 for La La Land—is the upset of the night.
Billie Eilish got a standing ovation after she performed “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie, which was a surprise and an indication of how well that song defined the film. You could feel it was an emotional moment. Speaking of Barbie, Ryan Gosling presented a dedication to stunt performers with Emily Blunt, and the two poked fun at the Oppenheimer/Barbie rivalry. (Now I want to see the two of them in a movie! Somebody make that happen!)
Ryan Gosling performs ‘I’m Just Ken’ from “Barbie” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Ryan Gosling performs ‘I’m Just Ken’ from “Barbie” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images
However, the moment of the night that was expected yet still was surprising was Ryan Gosling performing “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie. How did he do? He stole the show. Literally this will be the moment everybody talks about it. If you watch one thing from this year’s Oscars, make it this moment. You’re welcome.
Also, I love the moment Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Finneas O’Connell bulldozed through Janet Yang’s presentation. Like what would you do if some of the biggest names in music just sneaked up on you?
The level of stress I felt in this moment. This lady is just trying to present something and the biggest names in music are about to crash her moment. The moment of the night! What would you do if Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo just casually walked up on you? pic.twitter.com/WzzGLkLTef
But for me, one of the best moments of the night didn’t even happen at the Oscars! Jamie Lee Curtis, last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner for Everything Everywhere All at Once, presented this year’s Best Supporting Actress Oscar to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers. Right after that she left the ceremony, picked up an In-N-Out burger, and got on a place. I mean, iconic, am I right?
Check out some of the highlights from the night.
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HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Robert Downey Jr. accepts the Best Supporting Actor award for “Oppenheimer” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Robert Downey Jr. accepts the Best Supporting Actor award for “Oppenheimer” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images John Cena speaks onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images Ryan Gosling performs ‘I’m Just Ken’ from “Barbie” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images Cillian Murphy accepts the Best Actor award for “Oppenheimer” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish accept the Best Original Song award for ‘What Was I Made For?’ from “Barbie” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Da’Vine Joy Randolph accepts the Best Supporting Actress award for “The Holdovers” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) Masaki Takahashi, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya and Tatsuji Nojima accept the Best Visual Effects award for “Godzilla Minus One” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande speak onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito speak onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (L-R) Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling speak onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) James Wilson, Leonard Blavatnik and Jonathan Glazer accept the Best International Feature Film award for “The Zone of Interest” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish perform onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) Arthur Harari and Justine Triet accept the Best Original Screenplay award for “Anatomy of a Fall” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images Ludwig Göransson accepts the Best Original Scot for “Oppenheimer” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images Guillermo Rodriguez speaks during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images) HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Scott George and The Osage Singers perform ‘Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)’ from “Killers of the Flower Moon” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn accept the Best Sound award for “The Zone of Interest” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) Mark Coulier, Nadia Stacey, and Josh Weston accept the Best Makeup and Hairstyling award for “Poor Things” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images Becky G performs ‘The Fire Inside’ from “Flamin’ Hot” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (2nd L-R) Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers accept the Best Documentary Short Film award for “The Last Repair Shop” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (L-R) James Price and Shona Heath accept the Best Production Design award for “Poor Things” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) Brad Booker, Dave Mullins and Sean Lennon accept the Best Animated Short Film award for “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Raney Aronson-Rath, Mstyslav Chernov and Michelle Mizner accept the Best Documentary Feature Film for “20 Days in Mariupol” onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Full List of Winners
Best Picture: Oppenheimer Best Director: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer Best Actor: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer Best Actress: Emma Stone, Poor Things Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers Best Original Screenplay: Anatomy of a Fall Best Adapted Screenplay: American Fiction Best Animated Feature: The Boy and the Heron Best Animated Short Film: War is Over: Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko Best Live Action Short Film: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Best International Feature Film: The Zone of Interest Best Cinematography: Oppenheimer Best Costume Design: Poor Things Best Visual Effects: Godzilla Minus One Best Documentary Feature Film: 20 Days in Mariupol Best Documentary Short Film: The Last Repair Shop Best Film Editing: Oppenheimer Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Poor Things Best Production Design: Poor Things Best Sound: The Zone of Interest Best Music (Original Score): Oppenheimer Best Music (Original Song): Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, “What Was I Made For?” Barbie
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