It’s the glitz. It’s the glam. It’s the Academy Awards fam.
The night we’ve all been waiting for, the crowning glory of the awards season, was executed in style as the celebration of yesteryear’s films reached its summit. Having been postponed for two months due to the pandemic, the Oscars finally took place with Covid guidelines in place. Once filled to the brim with members of the industry, the red in the hall seemed a little muted, as social distancing made for a more relaxed party.
“Nomadland” was ostensibly the biggest winner of the night, taking home three golden statuettes including the coveted Best Picture. “Mank”, “Judas and The Black Messiah”, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, “Soul”, “Sound of Metal” and “The Father” didn’t do so shabbily either as they all pulled away with two awards each across the various categories.
“Nomadland” director, Chloé Zhao, made history as she became the first woman of colour to prevail in her respective category. The 39-year-old helmer was clearly elated, as she is also recognised as the second woman to win Best Director after Katheryn Bigelow won for “The Hurt Locker” in 2009. Speaking backstage, Zhao had nothing but gratitude for her Oscar as she followed up with a cheeky request for Bigelow’s email so she could get in contact with her predecessor.
It was a big night for South Korea as well as “Minari” actress Yuh-Jung Youn (윤여정) bagged the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Youn is now the first and only Korean performer to have won an Academy Award in acting. With Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” being the top dog last year, it seems like we have not seen the last of an elite Korean invasion in the tinsels of this town.
In a surprise upset, the last prize of the night went to Sir Anthony Hopkins for his role in “The Father”, who bested the late Chadwick Boseman, a clear favourite to receive the prize for his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”. This was Hopkins’ second Best Actor Oscar, with his first being 1990’s “The Silence of The Lambs”. At 83 years of age, Hopkins is the oldest performer ever to win in the acting category.
In another segment, actor Tyler Perry was granted an honorary Oscar for his efforts in the industry. In his moving acceptance speech, the “Madea” actor addressed the concerns of fuelling hatred within society.
“My mother taught me to refuse hate. She taught me to refuse blanket judgment. And in this time, and with all of the internet and social media and algorithms and everything that wants us to think a certain way, the 24-hour news cycle, it is my hope that all of us will teach our kids … just refuse hate. Don’t hate anybody.
However, not all of the night was meant to go down in glamorous fashion. Indeed, the most WTF moment of the night sprang from “Judas and The Black Messiah’s” Daniel Kaluuya right in the midst of his acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor. In the barrage of gratitude, the uttering of a suggestive line sent the audience into painful groans as his sister buried her head into her hands and his mother was seen visibly perplexed.
“Tonight, we’re gonna celebrate life man. We’re breathin’, we’re walkin’. It’s incredible. It’s INCREDIBLE. Like, it’s incredible… My mom. My dad. They had sex! It’s amazin’. Like you know, I’m HERE!”
Kaluuya later went backstage to explain that it all felt natural to him while he was accepting the award, stating that it was obvious that his parents had to mate in order to conceive him. Nevertheless, he did wince at his decision when the idea of his mom texting him after the show was brought to light. Certainly, a wild moment that will live on in infamy. It’s time for you to “get out” of there, Mr Kaluuya. Get out, before its’ too late!
Of course, we couldn’t leave you hanging here without the full list of winners. So, here are the glorious victors of the 93rd Academy Awards (marked with an *):
Best Picture
- “The Father”
- “Judas and The Black Messiah”
- “Mank”
- “Minari”
- “Nomadland” *
- “Promising Young Woman”
- “Sound of Metal”
- “The Trial of The Chicago 7”
Best Director
- Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
- Emerald Fennel, “Promising Young Woman”
- David Fincher, “Mank”
- Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland” *
- Thomas Vinterberg, “Another Round”
Actor In A Leading Role
- Anthony Hopkins, “The Father” *
- Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
- Gary Oldman, “Mank”
- Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”
- Steven Yeun, “Minari”
Actress In A Leading Role
- Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
- Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”
- Frances McDormand, “Nomadland” *
- Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”
- Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Actor In A Supporting Role
- Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah” *
- Lakeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
- Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami”
- Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”
- Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Actress In A Supporting Role
- Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”
- Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
- Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
- Olivia Colman, “The Father”
- Yuh-Jung Youn, “Minari” *
Original Screenplay
- “Judas and the Black Messiah”
- “Minari”
- “Promising Young Woman” *
- “Sound of Metal”
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Adapted Screenplay
- “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
- “The Father” *
- “Nomadland”
- “One Night in Miami”
- “The White Tiger”
Animated Feature
- “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”
- “Onward”
- “Over The Moon”
- “Soul” *
- “Wolfwalkers”
Production Design
- “The Father”
- “Mank” *
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
- “News of the World”
- “Tenet”
Costume Design
- “Emma”
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” *
- “Mank”
- “Mulan”
- “Pinocchio”
Cinematography
- “Judas and the Black Messiah”
- “Mank” *
- “News of the World”
- “Nomadland”
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Film Editing
- “The Father”
- “Nomadland”
- “Promising Young Woman”
- “Sound of Metal” *
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Makeup and Hairstyling
- “Emma”
- “Hillbilly Elegy”
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” *
- “Mank”
- “Pinocchio”
Sound
- “Greyhound”
- “Mank”
- “News of the World”
- “Soul”
- “Sound of Metal” *
Visual Effects
- “Love and Monsters”
- “The Midnight Sky”
- “Mulan”
- “The One and Only Ivan”
- “Tenet” *
Original Score
- “Da 5 Bloods”
- “Mank”
- “Minari”
- “News of the World”
- “Soul” *
Original Song
- “Husavik”, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
- “Fight for You”, “Judas and the Black Messiah” *
- “Lo Sì (Seen)”, “The Life Ahead”
- “Speak Now”, “One Night in Miami”
- “Hear My Voice”, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Documentary Feature
- “Collective”
- “Crip Camp”
- “The Mole Agent”
- “My Octopus Teacher” *
- “Time”
International Feature
- “Another Round”, Denmark *
- “Better Days,” Hong Kong
- “Collective”, Romania
- “The Man Who Sold His Skin,” Tunisia
- “Quo Vadis, Aida”, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Animated Short
- “Burrow”
- “Genius Loci”
- “If Anything Happens I Love You” *
- “Opera”
- “Yes-People”
Documentary Short
- “Colette” *
- “A Concerto Is a Conversation”
- “Do Not Split”
- “Hunger Ward”
- “A Love Song for Latasha”
Live-Action Short
- “Feeling Through”
- “The Letter Room”
- “The Present”
- “Two Distant Strangers” *
- “White Eye”
There we have it! The awards season of 2021 have finally bowed out but that’s not to say the party is over. If there’s one thing that the pandemic has revealed is that art, cinema, in particular, refuses to be halted. Despite schedule shuffles and delayed productions, we’ve got a whole barrow of reels just waiting for us to watch them this year. Certainly, we’ll have the best martinis to taste in Tinseltown for the rest of the year. Til’ next time.
