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In a rather predictable 96th edition of the Oscars, ‘Oppenheimer’ won Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and four other awards. Here’s the lowdown of the evening (scroll down for the five viral moments of the night and our full liveblog of the whole red carpet and ceremony).
ADVERTISEMENTChristopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic Oppenheimer has triumphed at this year’s Oscars, taking home seven awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy.
Murphy beat Paul Giamatti to the coveted Best Actor Award, while Robert Downey Jr. was named Best Supporting Actor for his role in Oppenheimer. Murphy, winning his first Oscar from his first nomination, is also the first ever Irish-born winner in his category.
«I’m a very proud Irish man standing here tonight,» he said. «For better or for worse, we’re living in Oppenheimer’s world. I would like to dedicate this to all the peacemakers out there.»
Nolan picked up his first Best Director Oscar, after being nominated previously for Dunkirk, beating out Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Glazer.
When speaking about cinema, he said: “We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here but to know that you think I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.”
The film also won for Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Score.
Elsewhere, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things tallied four wins, including Best Actress for Emma Stone, who beat out favourite Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon). It’s the actress’ second Best Actress Oscar after previously winning for La La Land.
The film also picked up awards for Best Production Design, Best Hairstyling and Make-up and Costume Design.
Jonathan Glazer’s German-language Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest was named Best International Feature, the first ever British film to win in this category. The film also won for Best Sound.
In his speech, Glazer addressed the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, calling out the “dehumanisation” shown both in his film and in reality. “Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has lead to conflict for so many innocent people,” he said, “whether the victims of 7 October in Israel or the ongoing attack in Gaza.”
France’s Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet took home one award – Best Original Screenplay. She won the award with her partner and co-writer Arthur Harari. Triet becomes the first woman to ever win in this writing category.
Other films to also just take just one award in the 10 Best Picture nominees are The Holdovers (Best Supporting Actress for Da’vine Joy Randolph), American Fiction (Best Adapted Screenplay), and Barbie (Best Original Song for Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I Made For?). By winning the award, Eilish, 22, becomes the youngest two-time Oscar winner in history -having previously picked up an award for her James Bond anthem ‘No Time to Die’ in 2022.
Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, and Celine Song’s Past Lives all leave empty-handed.
Oh, and here are the five viral moments from the awards ceremony you can be sure everyone will be talking about:
1) Ryan Gosling unleashing full Kenergy with 65 Kens
2) Messi the dog from ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ was in attendance -such a good boi
3) Al Pacino giving one of the most anticlimactic Best Picture announcements ever and skipping announcing the nominees while presenting the final award of the night
4) John Cena wearing an envelope and Birkenstocks to announce Best Costume design
ADVERTISEMENT5) «Isn’t it past your jail time?» – Host Jimmy Kimmel calls out Donald Trump
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for our full Oscars liveblog and the results in full – and in chronological order:
OSCARS LIVEBLOG:
* BEST PICTURE: OPPENHEIMER
Al Pacino presents best picture … and bizzarely mumbles the winner, leaving a silent pause in the audience. Well, that was predictable, and thanks to Pacino, rather anticlimactic. Still, there it is. It has become Oscar winner, destroyer of Barbie.
Best Picture
Nominees:
- American Fiction
- Anatomy of a Fall
- Barbie
- The Holdovers
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Maestro
- Oppenheimer
- Past Lives
- Poor Things
- The Zone of Interest
Here it is – the final award of the night. Le grand fromage.
I wouldn’t be mad if Past Lives or The Zone of Interest created an upset, but this should go to Nolan and Oppenheimer.
ADVERTISEMENT* BEST ACTRESS: EMMA STONE (POOR THINGS)
Second Oscar for Emma Stone, who deservedly wins for her barnstorming turn in Poor Things. Her dress is broken (she says it happened during ‘I’m Just Ken’), and her tearful speech is actually very moving.
Best Actress
Nominees:
- Annette Bening (Nyad)
- Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)
- Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)
- Carey Mulligan (Maestro)
- Emma Stone (Poor Things)
This is the nail-biter of the evening, and like Best Actor, it really comes down to two nominees: Emma Stone, who won the Golden Globe (Comedy), the Critics Choice Award and BAFTA for Poor Things, and Lily Gladstone, who won the Globe (Drama) and the SAG Award for Killers of the Flower Moon. Things seemed to be going in Stone’s favour, but when Gladstone was nominated in Best Actress as opposed to Best Supporting Actress, things changed. She already makes history as the first Native American to be nominated for Best Actress, and she is undeniably the best thing about Scorsese’s bladder-punishing American epic. However, Stone’s performance is the most daring and inventive of the two.
Elsewhere, all European hopes are on Sandra Hüller, lead actress in Anatomy of a Fall. She is first German-born actress to earn a Best Actress nom in 86 years.
In case you were wondering, the last was Luise Rainer for The Good Earth in 1938.
ADVERTISEMENTI interviewed her and she’s delightful. Fingers crossed…
* BEST DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN (OPPENHEIMER)
It was always going to be his year… This is the first time Nolan has won the award, having previously been nominated for Dunkirk in 2018. He sweetly dedicates the award to his wife Emma Thomas – “producer of all our films, and all our children.”
Best Director
Nominees:
- Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
- Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)
- Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
- Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall)
- Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)
I’m predicting Nolan for the win.
For those of you keen on trivia, Scorsese picked up his 10th best-director nomination this year, meaning that he not only becomes the oldest person ever nominated for Best Director at the age of 81, but he also overtakes Steven Spielberg for most Best Director nominations by any living filmmaker. So, Eyebrows beats Beard.
ADVERTISEMENTIn case you were wondering, William Wyler (Roman Holiday, Ben Hur) still holds the overall record at 12 nominations.
* BEST ACTOR: CILLIAN MURPHY (OPPENHEIMER)
Damn right! First Oscar nom, and a win! Couldn’t be more chuffed.
«I’m a very proud Irish man standing here tonight.»
«For better or for worse, we’re living in Oppenheimer’s world. I would like to dedicate this to all the peacemakers out there.»
Best Actor
Nominees:
ADVERTISEMENT- Bradley Cooper (Maestro)
- Colman Domingo (Rustin)
- Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)
- Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)
- Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)
The Best Actor feels like it could go either one of two ways.
In one corner, you have Cillian Murphy, with what is the meatiest big screen role of his career.
In the other corner stands Paul Giamatti, who has long been an unassuming critical darling and whose turn in The Holdovers is note-perfect.
When push comes to shove, we think it’s Murphy and his intense turn in Oppenheimer who’ll win. He’s previously taken home the acting awards at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and SAGs, so it stands to reason that he’ll emerge victorious in this very impressive category.
Right, it’s the home stretch now with Best Director, the main two acting prizes, and Best Film coming up. Good. These ceremonies last far too long, and I’m currently about as stable as a late-stage Jenga tower. I want sleep. I need sleep.
ADVERTISEMENT* BEST ORGINAL SONG: BILLIE EILISH AND FINNEAS – ‘WHAT WAS I MADE FOR?’ (BARBIE)
Billie Eilish, 22, makes (predictable) history by becoming the youngest two-time Oscar winner in history. And Barbie finally gets an Oscar – it won’t leave empty-handed tonight.
Best Original Song
Nominees:
- “It Never Went Away”— Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson (American Symphony)
- “What Was I Made For?”— Billie Eilish and Finneas (Barbie)
- “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People”—The Osage Tribe (Killers of the Flower Moon)
- “I’m Just Ken”— Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie)
- “The Fire Inside”— Diane Warren (Flamin’ Hot)
If Billie Eilish and Finneas win the award for Best Song for ‘What Was I Made For?’ from Barbie, the 22 and 26-year-old brother and sister duo will become the youngest two-time Oscar winners in history. They previously picked up an award for their James Bond anthem ‘No Time to Die’ in 2022.
* BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: LUDWIG GORANSSON (OPPENHEIMER)
Best Original Score
Nominees:
- Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things)
- Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer)
- Laura Karpman (American Fiction)
- Robbie Robertson (Killers of the Flower Moon)
- John Williams (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)
Composer John Williams, at 92, earned his 54th nomination this year for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
ADVERTISEMENTYes, that means that the worst film in the series can now be referred to as “Oscar nominated film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” And All of Us Strangers got nothing… Something’s gone wrong somewhere.
Still, this 54th nomination means that he’s only five noms behind Walt Disney’s record of 59 career nominations. Williams retains his record as the most Oscar nominated composer of all time, though, and remains the most-nominated living person.
It’s ‘I’m Just Ken’ time… And it’s… It’s glorious.
Where does one get that glittery pink suit and the matching pink gloves??
OH MY DAYS, IS THAT SLASH ON THE GUITAR???
ADVERTISEMENTSo many questions. So many feels.
*BEST SOUND: THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Well, colour me surprised! I genuinely thought it was in the bag for Oppenheimer – and the deserving film got it! Nicely done, Academy. Sound plays such an important role in The Zone of Interest. It’s a film you listen to as much as watch – and Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers contribute in no small way to the tense mood in Glazer’s film.
Best Sound
Nominees:
- The Creator; Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
- Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One; Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
- The Zone of Interest; Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers
- Oppenheimer; Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O’Connell, and Gary A. Rizzo
- Maestro; Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, and Dean Zupancic
I’m calling it for Oppenheimer – but my God, does The Zone of Interest deserve it…
So, let’s recap – Oppenheimer and Poor Things both have three Oscars apiece… The next few awards should shake things up a bit… Not sure if my braincells can handle this level of foregone conclusion. I’m hoping there are a few surprises in store, otherwise the rest of the evening is going to be a bit stale.
ADVERTISEMENT* BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT: THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
Wes Anderson wins an Oscar – his first – and isn’t here to collect…
Best Live Action Short Film
Nominees:
- The After
- Invincible
- Knight of Fortune
- Red, White and Blue
- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
I’m thinking_The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar_ – but I’ve been wrong before…
* BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA (OPPENHEIMER)
Previously nominated for Nolan’s Dunkirk, this one is merited – and predictable. Oppenheimer now stands at three wins, on equal footing with Poor Things.
Best Cinematography
Nominees:
ADVERTISEMENT- Ed Lachman (El Conde)
- Matthew Libatique (Maestro)
- Rodrigo Prieto (Killers of the Flower Moon)
- Robbie Ryan (Poor Things)
- Hoyte van Hoytema (Oppenheimer)
This one has Hoyte van Hoytema written all over it…
* BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: ’20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL’
«This is the first Oscar in Ukranian history,» says Mstyslav Chernov. «I wish I would never have made this film – I wish I could exchange this for Russia never attacking Ukraine.»
«Cinema forms memories – and memories form history.»
One of the most moving speeches of the evening.
Best Documentary Feature
Nominees:
ADVERTISEMENT- Bobi Wine: The People’s President
- The Eternal Memory
- Four Daughters
- To Kill a Tiger
- 20 Days in Mariupol
Strong category this one. Mstyslav Chernov’s 20 Days In Mariupol is a timely and powerful film that stands as the favourite here.
And when you take into consideration the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the fact that voters went for an anti-Putin film last year with Navalny (which due to his death should be at the forefront of many minds), the Academy probably won’t pass on the opportunity to have another bash at Russia’s horrific transgressions.
We’re huge fans of Four Daughters here though, so fingers crossed for Kaouther Ben Hania…
* BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: ‘THE LAST REPAIR SHOP’
«It’s about the unsung heroes in our schools.»
«Music education is about creating incredible humans.»
ADVERTISEMENTVery happy about this one.
Best Documentary Short Subject
Nominees:
- The ABCs of Book Banning
- The Barber of Little Rock
- Island in Between
- The Last Repair Shop
- Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó
I’m not going to be upset about any of these winning, but I’m thinking The ABCs of Book Banning for the win – but The Last Repair Shop is my favourite.
* BEST FILM EDITING: JENNIFER LAME (OPPENHEIMER)
Oppenheimer ‘s second Oscar of the night, and Editing usually rhymes with Best Film… As said before, this was Lame’s to lose and considering Nolan’s timey wimey structure, she certainly was at the heart of what made the film such a memorable watch. Such a watchable watch, come to think of it.
Best Film Editing
Nominees:
ADVERTISEMENT- Jennifer Lame (Oppenheimer)
- Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Poor Things)
- Thelma Schoonmaker (Killers of the Flower Moon)
- Laurent Sénéchal (Anatomy of a Fall)
- Kevin Tent (The Holdovers)
Three-time Oscar winner Thelma Schoonmaker has nabbed a record ninth nomination for film editing with Killers of the Flower Moon. The legendary editor has been working with Scorsese since 1967, and with this nomination, she overtakes frequent Steven Spielberg collaborator Michael Kahn, who has eight editing nominations. We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but this is Oppenheimer ’s Jennifer Lame’s to lose…
*BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: ‘GODZILLA MINUS ONE
Best Visual Effects
Nominees:
The Creator; Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould
Godzilla Minus One; Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; Theo Bialek, Stephanie Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot & Guy Williams
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One; Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould
Napoleon; Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corboul
One of my favourite moments of the evening (so far):
*BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: ROBERT DOWNEY JR. (OPPENHEIMER)
As predicted, but Downey Jr.’s speech – the night’s best so far – is like a harpoon to the feels. He thanked his wife, who “found me a snarling rescue pet and loved me back to life”.
ADVERTISEMENTBest Supporting Actor
Nominees:
- Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction
- Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
- Ryan Gosling – Barbie
- Robert Downey Jr – Oppenheimer
- Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things
While there could be some surprises in the lead acting categories, the supporting ones this year are all but a done deal. Robert Downey Jr. has taken pole position during the entirety of this year’s awards season for his role as Oppenheimer’s political rival Lewis Strauss. It’s a terrific performance, and considering the Hollywood optics for a moment, his win makes sense. His is an against-all-odds, phoenix from the flames story, after having been blacklisted for his post- Chaplin bad boy antics, only to reemerge as Marvel’s poster boy and box office dependable leading man. The Academy loves a good redemption arc, and this would be the grand finale.
Shout out to Mark Ruffalo though, who seemed to have an absolute blast on the set of Poor Things, and delivered a hilarious performance which on any other year would have seen him run away with the trophy.
Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling thank stunt coordinators.
Great, but where’s their Oscar category?
ADVERTISEMENT*BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM: THE ZONE OF INTEREST
A British film wins Best International Film for the first time – It may not be in the English language, but it comes from one of the UK’s greatest directors, Jonathan Glazer.
Glazer took to the stage to say that to the dehumanisation seen in The Zone of Interest is happening in the current Israel-Palestine conflict.
«All our choices were made to confront and reflect us in the present, our film shows where dehumanisation leads at its worst, it’s shaped all of our past and present.»
Best International Feature Film
Nominees:
- Io Capitano (Matteo Garrone, Italy)
- Society of the Snow (J.A. Bayona, Spain)
- The Teachers’ Lounge (İlker Çatak, Germany)
- The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer, United Kingdom)
- Perfect Days (Wim Wenders, Japan)
Our favourite category, this one.
ADVERTISEMENTJonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest is nominated this year in both the Best Picture category and in Best International Feature, as a film not in the English language.
This has been happening a lot more over the years: Life Is Beautiful (1998); Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000); Amour (2012); Roma (2018); Parasite (2019); Drive My Car (2021); and All Quiet on the Western Front (2022). The first to achieve this? Z in 1969.
If only France had had the good sense of selecting Anatomy of a Fall as their champion instead of (the no-less-excellent) The Taste of Things, and another name could have been added to this list…
Anyway, we’re predicting The Zone of Interest takes this one.
* BEST COSTUME DESIGN: POOR THINGS
Three for three for Poor Things so far. Please may this continue. However, these wins are a blow for Barbie. Will it go home with only Best Song? It’s looking increasingly likely.
ADVERTISEMENTBest Costume Design
Nominees:
- Jacqueline Durran (Barbie)
- Ellen Mirojnick (Oppenheimer)
- Holly Waddington (Poor Things)
- Jacqueline West (Killers of the Flower Moon)
- Janty Yates and David Crossman (Napoleon)
Come on, three for three for Poor Things please…
Oh, John Cena is on stage naked, as an homage to that 1974 streaker David Niven had to deal with. Well, semi-naked.
Sure, why not. Although I’m not sure about the choice of shoes… Birkenstocks in the nude? Faux pas.
* BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: POOR THINGS
Excellent. Two awards already for Poor Things. Let’s keep this going.
ADVERTISEMENTBest Production Design
Nominees:
- Ruth De Jong and Claire Kaufman (Oppenheimer)
- Jack Fisk and Adam Willis (Killers of the Flower Moon)
- Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer (Barbie)
- Elli Griff and Arthur Max (Napoleon)
- Shona Heath, Szusza Mihalek, and James Price (Poor Things)
I’m calling this one for Poor Things again. Please. Pretty please.
* BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: POOR THINGS
Ah, a first award for Poor Things, one of our favourites here at Euronews Culture. This better not be the last… «A big thank you to Willem Dafoe», says Josh Weston. Damn right. He should get thanked more. Love this for Poor Things – well deserved.
Shame about Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou, Lori McCoy-Bell for Maestro though – this pretty much guarantees that Maestro will go home with no awards.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Nominees:
ADVERTISEMENT- Luisa Abel, Jason Hamer, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, and Ahou Mofid (Oppenheimer)
- Mark Coulier, Nadia Stacey, and Josh Weston (Poor Things)
- Kay Georgiou, Sian Grigg, Kazu Hiro, and Lori McCoy-Bell (Maestro)
- Karen Hartley and Suzi Battersby (Golda)
- Ana López-Puigcerver, Belén López-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé (Society of the Snow)
* BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: ‘AMERICAN FICTION’
Interesting. Was not expecting this one, even if the source material is **hands down the most enjoyable read.**This may be a sign that Oppenheimer doesn’t get to sweep the entire evening. And that’s only a good thing.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominees:
- Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig (Barbie)
- Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
- Cord Jefferson (American Fiction)
- Tony McNamara (Poor Things)
- Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Another favourite of ours, this category…
Having explored the literary nominees this year, this Oscar could go to any of the other screenwriters… Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction screenplay won at the Critics Choice, Indie Spirits and BAFTAs, and it would be a solid choice. So would Tony McNamara’s audacious take on Alasdair Gray’s novel “Poor Things” and Jonathan Glazer’s adaptation of Martin Amis’ «The Zone of Interest», which is arguably the most accomplished book-to-screen treatment this year. Then there’s Barbie, which was placed in the Adapted Screenplay category, purely because the film is based on existing characters and intellectual property. Considering the film was snubbed in the Best Director and Best Actress categories, it could emerge as the wild card.
If we’re sticking to statistics, the Best Picture winner usually gets a writing award. It’s been the case four of the last five years, so we’re playing the odds and saying it will go to Oppenheimer – since we think that will get Best Picture.
ADVERTISEMENT*BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: ‘ANATOMY OF A FALL’
Justine Triet has only gone and bloody done it. The French film Anatomy of a Fall won the Palme d’Or last year in Cannes, and has been an awards darling during the whole season. This may be the only Oscar the film wins tonight, but it’s a deserved win.
Best Original Screenplay
Nominees:
- Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik (May December)
- Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer (Maestro)
- Arthur Harari and Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall)
- David Hemingson (The Holdovers)
- Celine Song (Past Lives)
We’d love to see Past Lives get this one…
It’s a very strong year, with three female writers in the mix, which is a record for the category. While all worthy, we’re still betting that Anatomy of a Fall will win for for Justine Triet and Arthur Harari’s screenplay and its beautifully written, gut-punch argument scenes.
If it does win, it’ll be the first French screenplay to win since Claude Lelouch’s A Man and A Woman in 1966.
ADVERTISEMENT*BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: ‘THE BOY AND THE HERON’
Well, that’s excellent news. I genuinely thought that Spider-Man would get it, but how wonderful that Miyazaki got the Oscar for what is rumoured to be his last film. Then again, he tends to say that about every one of his films. Shame that he wasn’t there to collect his award, but a very pleasant win.
Best Animated Feature Film
Nominees:
- The Boy and the Heron
- Elemental
- Nimona
- Robot Dreams
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Miyazaki or Spidey? That’s what it boils down to for Best Animated Feature. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has the edge, despite how heartening it would be to see the 83-year-old Japanese legend Hayao Miyazaki win his second competitive Oscar, after his Honorary Academy Award in 2014.
Plus, The Boy and the Heron is apparently his swansong, and Spirited Away is the only Studio Ghibli film to win this award… Which is all kinds of wrong.
Still, it can’t be denied that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is vibrant, inventive stuff, and seems like the safe bet here.
ADVERTISEMENTBig love to Robot Dreams though, which would be our ideal pick.
*BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM: ‘WAR IS OVER! INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF JOHN & YOKO’
As predicted. (Two for two right now with our predictions – just sayin’)
Best Animated Short Film
Nominees:
- Letter to a Pig
- Ninety-Five Senses
- Our Uniform
- Pachyderme
- War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
* BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH (THE HOLDOVERS)
The first award of the evening is…
Best Supporting Actress
Nominees:
ADVERTISEMENT- Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer)
- Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)
- America Ferrera (Barbie)
- Jodie Foster (Nyad)
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s role as a mourning chef in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers has swept pretty much every award leading up to the Oscars. This is the easiest one to get right, and you can bet she’ll (deservedly) add another trophy to her ever-growing collection.
Jamie Lee Curtis, Mary Steenburgen, Lupita Nyong’o, Rita Moreno, Regina King are all here to introduce the nominees…
New category
Kimmel mentiones the Achievement in Casting award, which will be coming in a few years’ time. Why couldn’t they just start it now? And when are we getting a Best Stunt category??
Long Killers
ADVERTISEMENT«When I went to see Killers of the Flower Moon, I had my mail forwarded to the movie theatre,» shares Kimmel.
Yep, sounds about right. As a reminder, Killers of the Flower Moon lasted a whopping 206 minutes.
MESSI IS HERE!!!
“I haven’t seen a French performer eat vomit like that since Gérard Depardieu,” cracks Kimmel.
Jimmy Kimmel is presenting for the fourth time tonight
ADVERTISEMENT«Thank you for that partial standing ovation.»
A first dig at Madame Web. Excellent. My god that film was hot trash.
Barbie is getting some attention, as a «feminist icon thanks to Greta Gerwig, who many thought deserved to be nominated for Best Director.» There it is. It’s done. Let’s move on now please.
«Ryan, you are so hot,» says Kimmel to Ryan Gosling. «Let’s go camping together and not tell our wives.»
Join the cue, Jimmy.
ADVERTISEMENTAnd it’s about to start…
Before it kicks off, let us pray… Dear Lord… Stay out of Poor Things‘ way… Amen.
Stay tuned, pour yourself a drink, and here we go…
Tonight’s certainties
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) looks like a lock for Best Supporting Actress. Same goes for Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) for Best Supporting Actor.
ADVERTISEMENTIncidentally, for Best Supporting Actor, it’s Downey Jr. Vs Mark Ruffalo – Iron Man vs Hulk… Ah, anyone remember the good old days when you could think about the MCU and not cringe?
The rest of the acting categories are less of a sure thing…
Check out our predictions for this year’s Oscars.
Speaking of screenplays…
A bombshell dropped yesterday, as the Oscar nominated film The Holdovers – nominated five times for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing (and one of our favourite films of 2023) – is facing some troubling accusations.
ADVERTISEMENTAlexander Payne’s film, scripted by David Hemingson, has been accused of line-by-line plagiarism. What’s worse is that the film is nominated for Best Original Screenplay, against Maestro, Anatomy of a Fall, May December and Past Lives, which ended its voting window late last month.
According to Luca and Paddington 2 writer Simon Stephenson, the script has striking similarities to his unproduced 2013 screenplay Frisco.
To be continued… But if The Holdovers wins any major Oscars tonight – we predict potentially two – these wins will be overshadowed by one hell of a last-minute controversy.
Historic first
More facts for you…
ADVERTISEMENTThis year marks the first time that the Best Picture line-up has featured three films directed by women – Barbie, Anatomy of a Fall, and Celine Song’s Past Lives. A first in Oscars history.
Elsewhere, four of the 10 screenplay nominees were written or cowritten by women – Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet, cowriting with her partner Arthur Harari), Barbie (Greta Gerwig, cowriting with her partner Noah Baumbach), May December (Samy Burch) and Past Lives (Celine Song). That represents the most female writers represented across the two categories in a single year.
We’re back on the carpet…
Cillian Murphy is here – and our money is on him winning Best Actor tonight for Oppenheimer.
Plastic is fantastic
ADVERTISEMENTOne major talking point this year is the Barbenheimer face-off, which is heavily leaning towards Oppie.
However, Barbie may have missed out on some nominations, including Best Director and Best Actress, but what many bellyaching fans have forgotten is that director Greta Gerwig has become the first director in history to have her first three feature films nominated in the Best Picture category, with Barbie following Lady Bird and Little Women.
In the Best Director category, French director Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall) has become only the ninth-ever female nominee.
The first was Lina Wertmüller for Seven Beauties (1977). Then came Jane Campion for The Piano (1994), Sofia Coppola with Lost in Translation (2003), Kathryn Bigelow with The Hurt Locker (2010), Greta Gerwig with Lady Bird (2017), Emerald Fennell with Promising Young Woman (2020), Chloé Zhao with Nomadland (2021) and Jane Campion again with The Power of the Dog (2022).
As a depressing reminder, only three women have ever been awarded the Oscar for Best Director: Bigelow, Zhao and Campion.
ADVERTISEMENTBarbie’s odds tonight
We can’t wait for Ryan Gosling to perform ‘I’m Just Ken’ from Barbie with Mark Ronson tonight, and Billie Eilish and Finneas will also perform ‘What Was I Made For?’
It’s pretty much assured to win Best Song, and probably Best Costume Design (even if we’d give it to Poor Things, hands down).
But considering the snubs, voters may decide to give it some love – specifically in Best Adapted Screenplay, and play make up with Barbie fans who were furious that Greta Gerwig didn’t get a Best Director nod, and Margot Robbie snubbed for Best Actress.
They even called it sexist. It’s not. Here’s why.
ADVERTISEMENTUnderstanding the Messi scandal
It was revealed earlier this week that Messi, the border collie and star of Anatomy of a Fall, would not be attending the Oscars this year.
The undisputed star of the film, who won the Palme Dog in Cannes last year, became the unlikely star of the 2024 Oscar campaign season. However, according to a source at the Neon-distributed film, Messi’s presence caused a stir, as a few members of the Academy were none to pleased with the dog doing the rounds. Indeed, some companies with nominated films were complaining about the good boi yes yes yes he’s a good boi attending Oscar luncheons because the pooch was giving the film an unfair boost during the voting window. Bloody Hollywood…
Seriously, you can’t bring the good boi but Mark Ruffalo is allowed to campaign? He’s a bona fide cutie and every film starring him gets an unfair advantage, surely…
BREAKING NEWS: Messi might be here tonight. THIS IS NOT A DRILL – MESSI MIGHT BE HERE. Whether this translates as a good omen for Anatomy of a Fall remains to be seen…
ADVERTISEMENTMore red carpet…
All European hopes tonight are on Sandra Hüller, lead actress in Anatomy of a Fall. She is first German-born actress to earn a Best Actress nom in 86 years.
In case you were wondering, the last was Luise Rainer for The Good Earth in 1938.
We interviewed her and she’s delightful. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed…
Check out our chat with Sandra Hüller here.
ADVERTISEMENTOn a more serious note, protesters have gathered during a demonstration in support of Palestinians calling for a ceasefire in Gaza as the Oscars ceremony is held nearby…
Five days ago, sSveral celebrities, including J Robert Oppenheimer’s grandson, signed an open letter pleading for nuclear disarmament. Read more here.
Stop it, Ryan, I’m trying to focus. I don’t need a reminder that genetically speaking, I’m a troll in comparison.
Can you feel the Kenergy? Ryan Gosling is here and will be singing ‘I’m Just Ken’ on stage later on… The Oscars are clearly trying to woo a younger audience this year – the ratings have been… well, shit these last few years.
Last year, 18.7 million viewers tuned in to watch Jimmy Kimmel host, the third worst performance ever, after 2022’s 15.4 million and the worst year, 2021, with 10.4 million viewers.
ADVERTISEMENTMaybe Ken can bring the viewers back this year. Just look at his eyes and cheeky smile. And that rakishly unbuttoned shirt… Why can’t all men look like this? I need me some Kenergy.
Justine Triet is nominated for Best Director for Anatomy of a Fall – which has 5 nominations tonight. While it would be great for it to nab a few, odds are that it’ll go home with Best Original Screenplay. Which is already huge.
Spreaking of which, the European productions represent some of the best films this year at the Oscars. Here’s our ranking of this year’s EU films.
Christopher Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas are on the red carpet… Oppenheimer is a clear frontrunner tonight, and I’m predicting (hardly a hot take here) a massive sweep tonight, following previous wins at the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Dwayne «The Rock» Johnson arrives… We don’t want to get into politics right now, with the flashback from hell gearing up in the US Presidential race, but check out our picks for the Best Celebrities that could be President.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Rock features…
The Greek absurdist master Yorgos Lanthimos arrives – he’s nominated for Best Director for Poor Things – and the film is nominated 11 times tonight. Here’s hoping that it doesn’t go home empty-handed… By my calculations, they might miss out on a few major ones…
Check out the predictions for tonight.
Emma Stone just arrived… And we really hope that she’s going to get her second Oscar for her role in Poor Things. We love the film, and as good as Lily Gladstone is in Killers of the Flower Moon, Stone’s performance is the bolder of the two. Time will tell. Either way, we’re winning.
Did anyone nominateRoger Federer for anything??
ADVERTISEMENTRegardless, happy to see you, Roger. Suave as ever. And potentially auditioning for Bond, by the looks of things. Incidentally, apparently the Bond producers were so impressed with Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer that he’s become the frontrunner.
We love the idea of Murphy as 007. What do you think?
Punishing your bladder
While we’re waiting for the red carpet to end and the ceremony to get started, would you care for an anecdote of no small amusement?
In case you were wondering, the average duration of a Best Picture nominee this year is 138 minutes. The shortest is The Zone of Interest, clocking in at 105 minutes; the longest is Killers of the Flower Moon at a whopping 206 minutes.
ADVERTISEMENTIf Hitchcock was right about the length of a film needing to be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder, then this year’s vintage has absolutely no consideration for your vesica urinaria.
**Red Carpet -**We’re going to keep the red carpet action to a minimum here, but I won’t resist posting a few pics of our faves…
It’s Paul Atreides’ sister on the red carpet…
Everyone’s seen Dune Part Two by now, right?
Billie Eilish is on the red carpet… If she wins the award for Best Song for ‘What Was I Made For?’ from Barbie tonight, the 22-year-old will become the youngest two-time Oscar winner in history. She previously picked up an award for the James Bond anthem ‘No Time to Die’ in 2022.
ADVERTISEMENTIt’s only Wim Wenders, his wife, and Koji Yakusho, here for Perfect Days in Best International Feature. One of our favourites. We interviewed the legendary director – check it out here.
Rita Moreno in the house, looking the glorious mother of crows. Love this for her.
Jamie Lee Curtis is here!!! She won a Best Supporting Actress last year for Everything Everywhere All At Once. What a legend.
For instance, Celine Song has arrived at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles…
Here’s hoping that Past Lives, one of our favourite films of 2023 doesn’t go home empty handed… With only two nominations, it does seem a little likely though…
ADVERTISEMENTNominations recap
Here are the number of nominations for the films vying for Oscar glory:
- Oppenheimer – 13 nominations
- Poor Things – 11 nominations
- Killers of the Flower Moon – 10 nominations
- Barbie – 8 nominations
- Maestro – nominations
- American Fiction – 5 nominations
- The Holdovers – 5 nominations
- Anatomy of a Fall – 5 nominations
- The Zone of Interest – 5 nominations
- Past Lives – 2 nominations
And we are open for business…
There’s a slight air of inevitability about the ceremony, with Christopher Nolan’s ambitious biopic Oppenheimer tipped for a massive sweep, following previous wins at the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
It has become an unstoppable awards juggernaut, and we’d be very surprised if it doesn’t bring home the most trophies tonight.
ADVERTISEMENTStill, who knows? Maybe the Oscar gods will be fickle and we’re in for an evening of surprises…
Good evening…
Hello and welcome to Euronews Culture’s liveblog for the 96th Academy Awards, or Oppenheimer night, as it shall henceforth be known.
This is it – the end of another awards season.
The 96th Academy Awards take place tonight in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting the show for the fourth time.
ADVERTISEMENTFollow along with us, as our resident (and perpetually sleep deprived) film geek David Mouriquand keeps you up to speed on the evening’s proceedings live.
