(Image via deadline.com) 

Staff Writer: Olivia Beaudette

Email: obeaudette@umassd.edu

The 96th Academy Awards ceremony were held in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, March 10th, resulting in awards in 23 categories for 2023 films.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, The Oscars were filled with many memorable moments, from Ryan Gosling’s performance of “I’m Just Ken” to a dog attending the show in a bow tie. 

It’s no secret that people watch to see which film will win, Barbie or Oppenheimer. With the release of these two big movies and shows at the same time, the term “Barbenheimer” became the phrase of the summer, and with the Oscars finally here, the battle for the best movie has been decided.

Oppenheimer received 13 nominations and earned seven wins, making it the most wins of the night. Barbie received eight nominations but only took home one. The film that received the second most awards of the night was Poor Things, where Emma Stone won her second Oscar.

The 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 Production Design: Poor Things

Best Costume Design: Poor Things

Best Cinematography: Oppenheimer

Best Editing: Oppenheimer

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Poor Things

Best Sound: The Zone of Interest

Best Visual Effects: Godzilla Minus One

Best Original Score: Oppenheimer

Best Original Song: “What Was I Made For?” Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell (Barbie)

Best Documentary Feature: 20 Days in Mariupol

Best International Feature: The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

Best Animated Short: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

Best Documentary Short: The Last Repair Shop

Best Live-Action Short: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

More Details About the Oscars

Barbie’s one win of the night also gave Billie Eilish her second Oscar, making her the youngest (22 years old) in Academy Awards history to win two awards.

Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell performed their winning song “What Was I Made For?” live, and when Eilish finished singing, she received a standing ovation. Many stars from Barbie were shown cheering loudly and providing favorable support for the moving performance Billie and Finneas put on.

Ryan Gosling put on a memorable production of “I’m Just Ken” in a sparkly pink suit. He went down the aisles, singing his heart out for the Oscars for the first time.

Gosling’s performance is the most watched video of the night on the Oscars YouTube channel, garnering 1.7 million views. Robert Downey Jr.’s acceptance speech is the second most watched, with 1.3 million views.

Robert Downey Jr. also won his very first Oscar, which resulted in another memorable moment this year.

In general, viewership of the Academy Awards ceremony has skyrocketed. Since 2020, ratings have continued to rise, shooting up by 4% last year. The 2024 showing reeled in 19.5 million Americans, the highest viewing since 2020.

Taking advantage of the platform of the Oscars, many attendees wore pins to express a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War.  The red pins worn are from a group called Artists4Ceasefire. 

The Oscars were a night of heartfelt performances, furry friends, naked John Cena, and the end of the Barbenheimer battle. Many talented people were awarded for their hard work and the Oscars will continue to award talented people each year.