Oscars 2016: Winners, losers and highlights from Hollywood’s biggest night
LEONARDO DiCaprio has ended his losing streak and taken home the Best Actor Oscar at the 88th Academy Awards.
LEONARDO DiCaprio has ended his losing streak and picked up the Oscar for Best Actor at the 88th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
“Thank you, thank you all so very much,” he said upon accepting the award. “Thank you to the Academy. Thank you to all of you in this room. I have to congratulate the other incredible nominees this year for their unbelievable performances.
“The Revenant was a product of the tireless efforts of an unbelievable cast and crew I got to work alongside.
“First off to my brother in this endeavour, Mr Tom Hardy, Tom ... Your fierce talent on screen can only be surpassed by your friendship off screen.”
The 41-year-old also used the opportunity to draw attention to climate change.
“Climate change is real, it is happening right now, it is the most urgent threat facing our species, we need to work together and stop procrastinating,” he said. “Let us not take this planet for granted, I do not take tonight for granted.”
The actor, who’s usual bad luck in the Best Actor category has become an internet joke, beat out The Martian’s Matt Damon, Trumbo’s Bryan Cranston, Steve Jobs’ Michael Fassbender and Eddie Redmayne for his role in The Danish Girl.
And DiCaprio’s win was just one of the major moment fans were anticipating at the awards. The other was how his Titanic co-star Kate Winslet would react when his name was called out.
Leo DiCaprio's biggest fan, Kate Winslet, looks quite moved by Leo's win and his speech. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/oyxGhYt0vH
— Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) February 29, 2016
Following DiCaprio’s win, Spotlight was announced Best Picture.
“This film gave a voice to survivors and this Oscar amplifies that voice, which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican,” the film’s director Tom McCarthy said.
“Pope Francis, it is time to protect the children and restore the faith. Thank you very much.”
Moments earlier, Brie Larson took home the award for Best Actress, beating out Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlotte Rampling and Saoirse Ronan in the category.
“I want to start big because the thing that I love about movie making is how many people it takes to make it,” the 26-year-old began her short and composed speech. “So, I want to start first with the Toronto Film Festival who gave us a platform.”
Earlier in the night, The Revenant’s Alejandro González Iñárrituhas picked up the Best Director gong. Beating out Tom McCarthy for Spotlight, Adam McKay for The Big Short, Lenny Abrahamson for Room and George Miller for Mad Max: Fury Road, the Mexican director used his speech to acknowledge those who haven’t had the same luck in the industry.
“What a great opportunity to our generation, to really liberate ourself from all prejudice and, you know, this thinking and make sure once and forever that the colour of our skin becomes as irrelevant as the length of our hair.”
Chris Rock opened the Academy Awards with a bang. Or as he called it: the White People’s Choice Awards.
As expected, the comedian took aim at race in his opening monologue and the lack of black nominees at the awards.
“If they nominated hosts I wouldn’t even get this job. You’d be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now,” he said to applause.
Rock did not hold back on the race controversy, delivering jokes fast.
“The thing is, why are we protesting? Why this Oscars? It’s the 88th Academy Awards. Which means this whole no black nominees has happened at least 71 other times. You gotta figure it happened in the 50s, 60s ... and black people did not protest. Because we had real things to protest at the time. We were too busy being raped and lynched. You know, when your grandmother is swinging from a tree, it is really hard to care about best documentary foreign short.”
He also took aim at Jada Pinkett Smith, who famously snowballed the boycott on the awards show for its lack of diversity.
“Jada got mad, Jada says she not coming. Isn’t she on a TV show?” he asked the crowd.
“Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.”
Sympathising that Pinkett Smith’s husband Will Smith wasn’t nominated for his role in Concussion, he said: “It’s also not fair Will was paid $20 million for Wild Wild West.”
Then he introduced the first two presenters to hand out the first gongs for the night.
“Please welcome Emily Blunt and somebody whiter, Charlize Theron,” he joked.
Spotlight’s Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer pick up the first awards for Best Original Screenplay.
In an epic recorded package, black performers including Whoopi Goldberg and Tracy Morgan took on the roles of major nominated films this year like The Martian and Joy.
#Oscars: Watch Whoopi Goldberg remake 'Joy' https://t.co/N6yFQCwySG https://t.co/FoXkeQnvXu
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 29, 2016
Meanwhile, Sarah Silverman made a bizarre address just prior to Sam Smith’s performance of his Bond anthem, The Writing’s on The Wall, in a speech laden with dick jokes.
Silverman described how she had slept with Bond, “but he never called her back” despite owning four phones and said he was neither a “grower or a shower”.
The comedienne also alluded to the fact that Bond was terrible in bed, because he had bedded 55 women who all had tried to kill him afterwards.
The speech didn’t go down to well, with some saying she “tanked” and the whole thing was just awkward.
If anyone could make the #Oscars more awkward than the #blackout controversy, of course it was @SarahKSilverman.
— BigRiggBlues (@BigRiggBlues) February 29, 2016
Sarah Silverman's Intro was also super awkward. #Oscars
— inanutshell.ca (@inanutshellca) February 29, 2016
Is it just me or does @SarahKSilverman always try too hard to get a laugh? #NotFunny #Oscars
— J.Son - NakedBoyNews (@NakedBoyNews) February 29, 2016
Alicia Vikander takes the Best Supporting Actress Oscar home for her role in The Danish Girl - beating out Kate Winslet in Jobs and Rachel McAdams in Spotlight.
Taking to the stage to present the nominees for the Achievement in Costume Design, Cate Blanchett did a walk-and-talk presentation around the stage that could rival any Today Tonight presenter.
Costume designer Jenny Beavan, who picked up the award for Mad Max used the opportunity of her acceptance speech to compel people to be kinder to each other and warned us to stop polluting our atmosphere.
Popping back up on stage, Chris Rock pointed out a couple of notable appearances in the star-studded room.
Like the bear from The Revenant:
And “Suge Knight” from Straight Outta Compton.
At Hollywood’s night of nights, it didn’t take long for the first “intoxicated” presenter to hit the stage.
Presenting the Oscar for Best Production Design, Steve Carell and Tina Fey attempted to honour the art involved in the category.
“Production designers take us to beautiful new worlds,” a serious Carell said.
“The thing where a bear lives,” Fey offered.
“An art studio in 1920s Copenhagen,” Carell continued.
“Tom Hanks’ house?” Fey shrugged.
“Tina has been drinking. But that should not take away from the beautiful work of this year’s nominees for best Production Design,” Carrel wrapped up.
“The non-imees are ...” Fey slurred, before awarding the gong to Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson for Mad Max: Fury Road.
"Tina's been drinking." - @SteveCarell #Oscars #Oscars2016 #TINAFEY #stevecarell pic.twitter.com/vKfDkdJyki
— Guzzlefish (@guzzlefish) February 29, 2016
And Max Max: Fury Road continued to pick up the gongs.
As well as best Costume Design, Production Design, Film Editing and Makeup, the film also nabbed best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.
David White, the Aussie sound editor for the flick, gave Australia a shoutout: “Yeah, I’m so proud, so proud, to work on this loud, loud, loud film, that actually had silence in it. So good to work with this guy and I’m proud to work with this guy and I’m proud to represent all of my Australian colleagues. Yeah! Aussies! Yeah!”
When a whole bunch of millionaires are held captive in a room, hitting them up for cash is clearly the smart thing to do. And that’s what Chris Rock did - bringing the Girl Scouts of Los Angeles out into the crowd to sell cookies.
“Tina Fey! Get that money girl!” Rock yelled. “Leo, you made $30 million! Come on!”
Introducing a musical performance by The Weeknd, Kevin Hart, who Chris Rock jokingly dubbed “next year’s host”, said he thought the race controversy surrounding the awards would guarantee him a seat in the front row.
“I only came tonight because I thought for sure that I would get a seat in the front row and it still didn’t happen,” he joked. “I don’t know why. But I thought this was the year to kind of show my face more in the front row because of all of the black stuff that was going on. So I was like, ‘They will go (cut) to me’. And you didn’t. But whatever. It’s OK. I have a suit, with shiny stuff on it. So I still made a statement.”
Mark Rylance takes out the Best Supporting Actor gong for his role in Bridge Of Spies, beating out Spotlight’s Mark Ruffalo, The Revenant’s Tom Hardy and Creed’s Sylvester Stallone.
“ ... For me, to have the chance to work with, I think, one of the greatest storytellers of our time, Steven Spielberg, has just been such an honour. And unlike some of the leaders we are being presented with these days, he leads with such love that he is surrounded by masters in every contract on his film, every craft, not the least Mr Tom Hanks.”
Comedian Louis CK put things into perspective for the stars in the room when he presented the award for Best Documentary Short.
“The rest of the Oscars are going to mansions into homes with people with good unions and who will always work. These people, this is Documentary Short film,” he joked.
“It is not even Documentary Feature. Al Gore got one of those. You cannot make a dime on this. These people will never be rich as long as they live. So this Oscar means something because all they do is tell stories that are important. You all do, but you also get rich. But these people, all they got is this Oscar going home in a Honda Civic. The person who owns this — this Oscar is going to be the nicest thing they ever own in their life. It is going to give them anxiety to keep it in their crappy apartment.”
As Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl performed an acoustic version of Blackbird, the memorial reel played honouring those in the industry who have passed - including Alan Rickman, David Bowie, Maureen O’Hara and Omar Sharif.
Tipped to be one of the explosive performances of the night, Lady Gaga took to the stage behind a white piano to play Til It Happens to You from the film The Hunting Ground -a documentary film about campus rape in the United States.
During the compelling performance, Gaga, a survivor of sexual assault, was joined onstage by other survivors.
The emotional moment quickly lit up Twitter with praise for the singer.
Very powerful moment in a show full of them. #gaga #Oscars
— Michelle Collins (@michcoll) February 29, 2016
Not that she ever needs to, but Lady Gaga once again proves why she is the greatest voice alive. #Oscars
— Calhoun (@Mike_Calhoun) February 29, 2016
She does not miss a note. Ever. #Gaga #Oscars
— annkpowers (@annkpowers) February 29, 2016
RETWEET if you were going Gaga for @ladygaga at the 2016 #Oscars! 🌟 https://t.co/c88jTaVm7K
— Channel 9 (@Channel9) February 29, 2016
As it approaches the pointy end of the ceremony, Common and John Legend take to the stage to present Best Original Song.
Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith take it out for The Writing’s On The Wall, the theme song to James Bond Spectre.
“I actually can’t breath right now,” Sam Smith said, accepting the award.
“I read an article a few months ago by Sir Ian McClelland and he said that no openly gay man had ever won an Oscar, and if this is the case - even if this isn’t the case - I want to dedicate this to the LGBT community all around the world. I stand here tonight as a proud gay man and I hope we can all stand together as equals one day.”
Presenting a small introduction to a clip of Best Picture nominee Brooklyn, Olivia Wilde was partnered with Sacha Baron Cohen. While Wilde came as herself, Baron Cohen was in character as one of his characters, Ali G.
“I know what you was thinkin’ when I walked on,” Cohen said. “Here comes yet another token black presenter. How come there is no Oscar for them very hardworking little yellow people with tiny dongs? You know, the minions. But I is here, representing all them who has been overlooked. Will Smith. Idris Elbow (sic) and of course the amazing black lord from Star Wars, Darth Vader.”
WINNERS
Best Picture
Spotlight
Best Director
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Best Actress
Brie Larson, Room
Best Original Screenplay
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight
Best Adapted Screenplay
Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, The Big Short
Best Supporting Actress
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Best Supporting Actor
Mark Rylance, Bride of Spies
Best Costume Design
Jenny Beavan, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Production Design
Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Film Editing
Margaret Sixel, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega, and Damian Martin, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Sound Editing
Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Sound Mixing
Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff, and Ben Osmo, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Visual Effects
Mark Williams Ardington, Sara Bennett, Paul Norris, and Andrew Whitehurst, Ex Machina.
Best Animated Short Film
Bear Story
Best Animated Feature Film
Inside Out
Best Documentary — Short Subject
A Girl In The River: The Price Of Forgiveness
Best Live Action Short Film
Stutterer
Best Foreign Language Film
Son Of Saul
Best Documentary — Feature
Amy
Best Original Score
Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
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