The 96th Academy Awards unfolded in a dazzling ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, marking a night of notable achievements and memorable moments. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, who brought his characteristic wit and charm to the stage for the fourth time, the Oscars 2024 celebrated excellence in film with a blend of expected wins and surprising upsets.
“Oppenheimer” Dominates the Night
Leading the pack with an impressive 13 nominations, “Oppenheimer” emerged as the biggest winner of the evening, securing seven Oscars. The film’s remarkable haul included some of the most coveted awards such as Best Picture, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, highlighting his remarkable portrayal in the title role. Murphy’s victory continued his winning streak, having previously garnered accolades at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. The film’s success was further solidified with awards in cinematography, editing, and score, showcasing its excellence across various facets of filmmaking.
“Barbie” and “Poor Things” Shine in Their Own Right
While “Barbie,” the other half of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, entered the night with eight nominations, it won a single Oscar for Best Original Song, a testament to its cultural impact and the talents of Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. Meanwhile, “Poor Things” made its mark by winning awards in categories such as hair and makeup, production design, and costume design, highlighting the film’s creative achievements.
Emma Stone’s win for Best Actress in “Poor Things” was one of the night’s surprises, edging out Lily Gladstone, who had made history as the first Native American nominated for Best Actress for her role in “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
A Night of Firsts and Historical Wins
The awards ceremony was not just about the triumphs of “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things.” It was a celebration of diverse talents and groundbreaking achievements. Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress for “The Holdovers,” adding to the night’s list of memorable performances.
The ceremony also recognized the best in animation, documentaries, and international films, with “The Boy and the Heron” taking home the award for Best Animated Feature and “The Zone of Interest” winning Best International Feature Film, showcasing the global nature of cinematic excellence.
All Oscar 2024 Winners
Best picture
- “Oppenheimer” — Winner
- “American Fiction”
- “Anatomy of a Fall”
- “Barbie”
- “The Holdovers”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Maestro”
- “Past Lives”
- “Poor Things”
- “The Zone of Interest”
Best supporting actress
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers” — Winner
- Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”
- Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”
- America Ferrera, “Barbie”
- Jodie Foster, “Nyad”
Best animated short film
- “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko” — Winner
- “Letter to a Pig”
- “Ninety-Five Senses”
- “Our Uniform”
- “Pachyderm”
Best animated feature film
- “The Boy and the Heron” — Winner
- “Elemental”
- “Nimona”
- “Robot Dreams”
- “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
Best original screenplay
- “Anatomy of a Fall” — Winner
- “The Holdovers”
- “Maestro”
- “May December”
- “Past Lives”
Best adapted screenplay
- “American Fiction” — Winner
- “Barbie”
- “Oppenheimer”
- “Poor Things”
- “The Zone of Interest”
Best makeup and hairstyling
- “Poor Things” — Winner
- “Golda”
- “Maestro”
- “Oppenheimer”
- “Society of the Snow”
Best production design
- “Poor Things” — Winner
- “Barbie”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Napoleon”
- “Oppenheimer”
Best costume design
- “Poor Things” — Winner
- “Barbie”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Napoleon”
- “Oppenheimer”
Best international feature film
- “The Zone of Interest,” United Kingdom — Winner
- “Io Capitano,” Italy
- “Perfect Days,” Japan
- “Society of the Snow,” Spain
- “The Teachers’ Lounge,” Germany
Best supporting actor
- Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer” — Winner
- Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”
- Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”
- Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”
Best visual effects
- “Godzilla Minus One” — Winner
- “The Creator”
- “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”
- “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”
- “Napoleon”
Best film editing
- “Oppenheimer” — Winner
- “Anatomy of a Fall”
- “The Holdovers”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Poor Things”
Best documentary short film
- “The Last Repair Shop” — Winner
- “The ABCs of Book Banning”
- “The Barber of Little Rock”
- “Island in Between”
- “NÇŽi Nai & Wà i Pó”
Best documentary feature film
- “20 Days in Mariupol” — Winner
- “Bobi Wine: The People’s President”
- “The Eternal Memory”
- “Four Daughters”
- “To Kill a Tiger”
Best cinematography
- “Oppenheimer” — Winner
- “El Conde”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Maestro”
- “Poor Things”
Best live action short film
- “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” — Winner
- “The After”
- “Invincible”
- “Knight of Fortune”
- “Red, White and Blue”
Best sound
- “The Zone of Interest” — Winner
- “The Creator”
- “Maestro”
- “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”
- “Oppenheimer”
Best original score
- “Oppenheimer” — Winner
- “American Fiction”
- “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Poor Things”
Best original song
- “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” — Winner
- “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony”
- “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie”
- “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot”
- “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Best actor
- Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer” — Winner
- Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”
- Colman Domingo, “Rustin”
- Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”
- Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”
Best director
- Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer” — Winner
- Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest”
- Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things”
- Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall”
Best actress
- Emma Stone, “Poor Things” — Winner
- Annette Bening, “Nyad”
- Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”
- Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”
Full list of Oscars 2024 winners
- Best picture: “Oppenheimer”
- Best director: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”
- Best actress: Emma Stone, “Poor Things.”
- Best actor: Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”
- Best supporting actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”
- Best supporting actor: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”
- Best original screenplay: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, “Anatomy of a Fall”
- Best adapted screenplay: Cord Jefferson, “American Fiction”
- Best animated feature: “The Boy and the Heron”
- Best animated short: “War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John Lennon and Yoko Ono”
- Best international feature: “The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom)
- Best documentary feature: “20 Days in Mariupol”
- Best documentary short: “The Last Repair Shop”
- Best live action short: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”
- Best score: Ludwig Göransson, “Oppenheimer”
- Best original song: Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”
- Best sound: Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn, “The Zone of Interest”
- Best production design: James Price, Shona Heath and Zsuzsa Mihalek, “Poor Things”
- Best cinematography: Hoyte van Hoytema, “Oppenheimer”
- Best makeup and hairstyling: Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston, “Poor Things”
- Best costume design: Holly Waddington, “Poor Things”
- Best editing: Jennifer Lame, “Oppenheimer”
- Best visual effects: Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima, “Godzilla Minus One”
Conclusion
The Oscars 2024 was a night that celebrated the art of cinema, from groundbreaking performances to innovative filmmaking techniques. With “Oppenheimer” leading the way, the ceremony was a testament to the power of storytelling and the magic of movies. As the film industry continues to evolve, the Academy Awards remain a prestigious acknowledgment of the best that cinema has to offer, setting the stage for future endeavors in storytelling and film-making excellence.
