Oscars: I AM 91st Academy Awards
Glenn Close Best Actress Nominee at the 91st Academy Awards - Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
After a chaotic lead up to the 91st Academy Awards that was fraught with controversy—the host-less Oscars turned out to be a success and Hollywood breathed a sigh of relief.
The Academy voted for films that celebrated diversity, characters outside of the mainstream struggling to fit in, courage in the face of injustice, friendship, greater understanding between perceived enemies, and films that showcased compassion and love for our cultural differences.
In Alfonso Cuarón’s words: “Our job as artists is to look where others don’t.”
For those who have ambitions to win an Academy Award, based on this year’s winner’s list, the message is loud and clear—dare to include the stories of those we have not seen or rarely ever see in film, deliver a message that promotes greater compassion, focus on universal stories which transcend language and culture, and make a film that is a heart-string-pulling tear-jerker, which is genuinely personal to you, beyond any vacuous need for a golden statuette.
91st Academy Awards (2019) - Spike Lee accepts his first Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman from his friend Samuel L. Jackson - Courtesy of the ABC
The reason why Green Book won Best Picture and BlacKkKlansman didn’t has less to do with the current argument on Twitter and more to do with the simple fact that: in the end, only the heart will matter. Not the angst, not the arguments, not the intellectual gymnastics that the internet likes to have about art.
What we as human beings are geared towards are feelings and we are moved by them more than logic or ethics. Though, to be clear, this is not to say Lee’s film wasn’t more masterful—intellectually and cinematically. However, the movie that won was the one that was more heart-centred. In the end, that’s the only thing that connects us and that’s what won out.
Here is the 91st Academy Awards Full Winners list and the best quotes from every speech:
Best Supporting Actress
Regina King in If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) - dir. Barry Jenkins - Annapurna Pictures
“James Baldwin birthed this baby, and Barry, you nurtured her, you surrounded her with so much love and support. So, it’s appropriate for me to be standing here because I’m an example of what it looks like when support and love are poured into someone.”
Regina King — If Beale Street Could Talk — WINNER
Amy Adams — Vice
Marina de Tavira — Roma
Emma Stone — The Favourite
Rachel Weisz — The Favourite
Best Documentary Feature
Free Solo (2018) - Jimmy Chin/National Geographic
“Thank you for hiring women and people of colour because we only make the films better.”
Free Solo — Jimmy Chin — WINNER
Hale County This Morning — Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyis
Minding the Gap — Bing Liu
Of Fathers and Sons — Talal Derki
RBG, Betsy West — Julie Cohen
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
Christian Bale in Vice (2018) - Annapurna
“Thank you Amy Adams for bringing us up to your level of commitment.”
Vice — Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney — WINNER
Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer — Border
Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks — Mary Queen of Scots
Achievement in Costume Design
Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther (2018) - Marvel Entertainment
“Thank you for honouring African royalty and the way women can look and be honoured on screen.”
Ruth E. Carter — Black Panther — WINNER (The first African-American woman to win)
Mary Zophres — The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Sandy Powell — The Favourite
Sandy Powell — Mary Poppins Returns
Alexandra Byrne — Mary Queen of Scots
Best Production Design
Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) is flanked by Okoye (Danai Gurira) and Ayo (Florence Kasumba), two members of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje in Black Panther (2018) - Marvel/Disney
“I stand here with agency and self-worth because of Ryan Coogler, who not only made me a better designer, storyteller, a better person. This man offered me a different perspective of life. He offered me a safe space, was patient, and gave me air, humanity, and brotherhood.”
Hannah Beachler — Black Panther — WINNER (The first African-American woman to win)
Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas — First Man
Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton — The Favourite
John Myhre and Gordon Sim — Mary Poppins Returns
Eugenio Caballero, Barbara Enrquez — Roma
Cinematography
Alfonso Cuarón behind the scenes on Roma - Courtesy of Netflix
“To create a single frame of film, as you know, requires the hard work of a lot of people.”
Alfonso Cuarón — Roma — WINNER
Lukasz Zal — Cold War
Robbie Ryan — The Favourite
Caleb Deschanel — Never Look Away
Matthew Libatique — A Star Is Born
Achievement in Sound Editing
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) - 20th Century Fox/New Regency
“Really, this was an honour. We got to work with Queen for our day job, which was wonderful.”
John Warhurst — Bohemian Rhapsody — WINNER
Benjamin A Burtt, Steve Boeddeker — Black Panther
Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan — First Man
Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl — A Quiet Place
Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay — Roma
Achievement in Sound Mixing
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) - 20th Century Fox/New Regency
“Shout out to Brian May and Rodger Taylor. Thank you so much for your music, and your collaboration, and your support.”
Bohemian Rhapsody — WINNER
Black Panther
First Man
Roma
A Star Is Born
Best Foreign Language Film
Roma (2018) - Netflix
“I grew up watching foreign language films, learning so much from them, being inspired. Films like ‘Citizen Kane’, ‘Jaws’. And there are no waves, there’s only an ocean. I think the nominees tonight have proven that we are all part of the same ocean.”
Roma — Mexico — WINNER
Capernaum — Lebanon
Cold War — Poland
Never Look Away — Germany
Shoplifters — Japan
Best Film Editing
Joseph Mazzello, Ben Hardy, Rami Malek, Gwilym Lee in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) - 20th Century Fox
“As Freddie’s father would say: ‘Good thoughts, good words, good deeds.’”
John Ottman — Bohemian Rhapsody — WINNER
Barry Alexander Brown — BlacKkKlansman
Patrick J. Don Vito — Green Book
Yorgos Mavropsaridis — The Favourite
Hank Corwin — Vice
Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortenson in Green Book (2018) - Universal Pictures
“I want to dedicate this to my grandmother who has been in my ear my entire life telling me that,’If at first I don’t succeed, try, try again.’ That I can do anything I put my mind to. Always, always pushing me to think positively.”
Mahershala Ali — Green Book — WINNER
Adam Driver — BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott — A Star Is Born
Richard E Grant — Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell — Vice
Best Animated Feature
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - Sony Pictures Entertainment
“800 filmmakers took risks to make people feel powerful and seen. So when we hear that somebody’s kid was watching the movie and turned to them and said, ‘He looks like me,’ or ‘They speak Spanish,’ we feel like we’ve already won.”
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse — Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman — WINNER
Incredibles 2 — Brad Bird
Isle of Dogs — Wes Anderson
Mamoru Hosoda — Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet — Rich Moore and Phil Johnston
Best Animated Short
Bao (2018) - Pixar/Disney
“To all of the nerdy girls who hide behind their sketchbooks, don’t be afraid to tell your stories to the world.”
Bao — Domee Shi — WINNER
Animal Behaviour — Alison Snowden and David Fine
Late Afternoon — Louise Bagnall
One Small Step — Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas
Weekends — Trevor Jimenez
Best Documentary Short Subject
Period. End of Sentence - Courtesy of G6 Pictures
“I’m not crying because I’m on my period or anything. I can’t believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar!”
Period. End of Sentence — Rayka Zehtabchi — WINNER
Black Sheep — Ed Perkins
End Game — Jeffrey Friedman, Rob Epstein
Lifeboat — Skye Fitzgerald
A Night at the Garden — Marshall Curry
Achievement in Visual Effects
Ryan Gosling in First Man (2018) - Universal
“What a truly magnificent moment. We did things a bit differently on First Man. So, being recognised by the Academy is extra special.”
First Man — WINNER
Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Robin
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Best Live Action Short Film
Lonnie Chavis and Jackson Robert Scott in Skin (2018) - Guy Nattiv
“My grandparents were Holocaust survivors and the bigotry that they experienced in the Holocaust; we see that everywhere in America, in Europe. And this film is about education. It’s about teaching your kids a better way.”
Skin — Guy Nattiv — WINNER
Detainment — Vincent Lambe
Fauve — Jeremy Comte
Marguerite — Marianne Farley
Mother — Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Best Original Screenplay
Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortenson in Green Book (2018) - Universal Pictures
“They say if you want to go somewhere fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Green Book — Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly — WINNER
The Favourite — Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
First Reformed — Paul Schrader
Roma — Alfonso Cuaron
Vice — Adam McKay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Laura Harrier and John David Washington in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman (2018) - Focus Features
“Before the world tonight, I give praise to my ancestors who helped build this country and what it is today —alone with the genocide of its native people. If we all connect with our ancestors, for love, wisdom and regaining our humanity, it will be a powerful moment.”
BlacKkKlansman — Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee — WINNER
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs — Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Can You Ever Forgive Me? — Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
If Beale Street Could Talk — Barry Jenkins
A Star Is Born — Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper and Will Fetters
Best Original Score
Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther (2018) - Marvel Studios
“We’re here celebrating one of the most important cinematic moments in history.”
Ludwig Goransson — Black Panther — WINNER
Terence Blanchard — BlacKkKlansman
Nicholas Britell — If Beale Street Could Talk
Alexandre Desplat — Isle of Dogs
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman — Mary Poppins Returns
Best Original Song
Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born (2018) - Warner Bros.
“This is hard work. I’ve worked hard for a long time. And it’s not about winning. What it’s about is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it. There’s a discipline for passion and it’s not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down, or beaten up. It’s about how many times you stand up, and are brave, and you keep on going.”
‘Shallow’ from A Star Is Born by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice — WINNER
‘All The Stars’ from Black Panther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA
‘I'll Fight’ from RBG by Diane Warren and Jennifer Hudson
‘The Place Where Lost Things Go’ from Mary Poppins Returns by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
‘When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings’ from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch
Best Lead Actor
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) - 20th Century Fox Searchlight/New Regency
“We made a film about a gay man, an immigrant, who lived his life just unapologetically (as) himself. And the fact that I’m celebrating him and this story with you tonight, is proof that we’re longing for stories like this.”
Rami Malek — Bohemian Rhapsody — WINNER
Christian Bale — Vice
Bradley Cooper — A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe — At Eternity's Gate
Viggo Mortensen — Green Book
Best Lead Actress
Olivia Coleman in The Favourite (2018) - Fox Searchlight
“Any little girl who is practising their speech on the telly—you never know!”
Olivia Colman — The Favourite — WINNER
Yalitza Aparicio — Roma
Glenn Close — The Wife — WINNER
Lady Gaga — A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy — Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Best Director
Roma (2018) - Courtesy of Netflix
“I want to thank the Academy for recognising a film centred around an indigenous woman, one of the 70 million domestic workers in the world without work rights. A character that historically had been relegated to the background in cinema. Our job as artists is to look where others don’t.”
Alfonso Cuaron — Roma — WINNER
Spike Lee — BlacKkKlansman
Pawel Pawlikowski — Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos — The Favourite
Adam McKay — Vice
Best Picture
Viggo Mortenson and Mahershala Ali in Green Book (2018) - Courtesy of Universal Pictures
“We made this film with love, tenderness, and respect.”
Green Book — WINNER
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Roma
A Star Is Born
Vice
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