On March 10, the 96th Academy Awards ceremony took place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The annual Oscars ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, recognizes and presents films with various awards. Hosted by late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, this year’s Oscars celebrated several incredible winners.
Since its eagerly anticipated release in July of 2023 and the popularity that ensued shortly after, many were expecting Oppenheimer to receive numerous awards. It did not disappoint, taking home seven awards out of 13 nominations, including Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Best Director for Christopher Nolan.
Many other incredible films were celebrated throughout the award show, such as American Fiction, which won Best Adapted Screenplay and was also nominated for Best Picture, with Cord Jefferson as the only Black director nominated for the award.
In a press speech after the Oscars, Jefferson notes, “It was important to me to reflect the diversity of the Black experience [in the film],” which was set in Massachusetts. “Showing that side of Boston that isn’t normally shown [is also significant]. I think it’s important to show diversity within diversity.”
Fans also enjoyed watching Oppenheimer actor Robert Downey Jr. and The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar filmmaker Wes Anderson receive their first Oscar awards in their respective categories.
The night held several other memorable moments — one in particular stood out from the rest. “Ryan Gosling’s performance was my favorite moment,” says Audrey Day (V). Gosling’s performance of the song “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie was one of the night’s main highlights. The star, dressed in a glamorous pink suit, sang to the Oscar nominated song by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, capturing the attention of many fans.
Throughout the evening, many stars such as singer Billie Eilish and actor Mark Ruffalo were seen wearing red pins, in support of Artists4Ceasefire, an organization that advocates for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. A letter published on the group’s website states, “Beyond our pain and mourning for all the people there and their loved ones around the world we are motivated by an unbending will to stand for our common humanity. We stand for freedom, justice, dignity and peace for all people — and a deep desire to stop more bloodshed.”
The 96th Academy Awards was filled with captivating performances, a number of important first time awards for both established and new artists and efforts to raise awareness for ongoing conflicts around the world. This year’s Oscars ceremony was a fitting tribute to a year marked by important milestones and accomplishments in filmmaking history and anticipates that 2024 will bring many exciting new performances that are sure to captivate lovers of cinema.
