Brad Pitt wins his first ever acting Oscar
It was a big night for Brad Pitt, who received his first ever acting Academy Award. The star was awarded the Best Supporting Actor trophy for his work on Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood, and thanked director Quentin Tarantino before turning his attention to co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. "I'll ride your coattails any day," he said. "The view's fantastic." Brad, 56, also gave a special shoutout to the children he shares with ex Angelina Jolie. "This is for my kids, who colour everything I do. I adore you," he said.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Camila Morrone make awards debut
Leonardo DiCaprio and Camila Morrone finally made it awards show-official on Sunday. The couple, who have been dating since the end of 2017, arrived separately for the Oscars, but were spotted sitting side-by-side during the star-studded ceremony. Leo, 45, chose a dapper tuxedo for the occasion, while Camila, 22, wore a strapless pale pink chiffon gown with a corset bodice and Tiffany diamonds. She joined her partner inside the theatre, but the couple posed separately for photographers on the red carpet.
Eminem performs
One of the most surprising moments of the night came courtesy of Eminem. After an introduction from Lin-Manuel Miranda about "highlighting those songs that have been attached to movies that have forever impacted our collective memory", a montage filled with memorable musical moments played. Eminem then appeared on stage and rapped Lose Yourself from 8 Mile. Given that the film was released in 2002, and with no anniversary attached to it, some of the audience members appeared a little confused. But the star received a standing ovation following his performance. Afterwards, Eminem thanked the Academy for having him back, after he wasn't there to pick up the trophy in 2003 when the track won Best Original Song.
Natalie Portman makes a fashion statement
Natalie Portman famously highlighted the all-male line-up of best director nominees at the 2018 Golden Globes. And on Sunday night she again chose to draw attention to the lack of female nominees at the 2020 Oscars. The actress walked the red carpet wearing a strapless black Dior gown featuring a gold mesh overlay, braided gold belt and a black floor-length cape. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that Natalie had had the names of female directors whose critically acclaimed works were not recognised by the Academy embroidered down the left lapel of her black cape. "I wanted to recognise the women who were not recognised for their incredible work this year in my subtle way," she told LA Times reporter Amy Kaufman.
This year's nominees for the best director award were all male and majority white: Bong Joon Ho for Parasite, Sam Mendes for 1917, Martin Scorsese for The Irishman, Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood and Todd Phillips for Joker. There have only been five female directing nominees in the Oscars' 92-year history. In 2010, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the best director award for her film, The Hurt Locker.
A Cats reunion
James Corden and Rebel Wilson made fun of their critically-panned film Cats by coming out on stage in costume to present the Best Visual Effects Awards. The two walked out together in full bodysuits of their characters, complete with feline makeup on their faces, which was met with laughter from the audience.
"As cast members of the motion picture Cats, nobody more than us understands the importance of good visual effects," they joked. Before announcing the winner, the two pretended to be cats distracted by the microphone stand, hitting it with their hands multiple times.
Parasite makes history
Parasite won the big award of the night, taking home the Best Film trophy, with Bong Joon-ho also named the Best Director. The movie is the first ever foreign language film to win the main prize. It beat Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Little Women, Marriage Story, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood and 1917. Earlier in the night, the South Korean film also received the award for Best International Feature Film – the first film from South Korea ever to be nominated, let alone win the prize.
In his speech, Bong referenced the Academy's decision to change the name of the category to Best International Feature Film from its previous category title: Best Foreign Language Film. "I'm so happy to be its first recipient under the new name," he said. "I applaud and support the new direction that this change symbolises." He went on to acknowledge "all our loving cast members and crew members," with many of the actors standing up in the audience afterwards. "Please give a round of applause for them I congratulate all the great artists here tonight," Bong said. "I thank everyone … who allowed me to actualise my vision. I'm ready to drink tonight!" he joked.
Renee Zellweger and Joaquin Phoenix named Best Actress and Actor
Renee Zellweger and Joaquin Phoenix completed their awards season success by taking home the Best Actress and Actor awards. Renee was honoured for her portrayal of Judy Garland in Judy, marking a hugely successful comeback for the star. She had previously won best supporting actress for her role in Cold Mountain, but took several years out of showbusiness and didn't take on any acting roles between 2010 to 2016. It also marked some form of late recognition from the Academy for Judy, who never won an Oscar in her lifetime.
"Although Judy Garland didn't receive this award in her time... it's representative of her legacy of unique exceptionalism, inclusivity, and generosity of spirit. It transcends any one artistic achievement," Renee said. "Ms Garland, you are certainly among the heroes who unite and define us, and this is certainly for you."
Joaquin was honoured for his titular role in The Joker. Having addressed the lack of diversity at last week's BAFTAs, Joaquin's Oscars speech was a rallying cry for animal rights and veganism. "I think we've become very disconnected from the natural world," he stated, noting how people plunder animals for milk for our coffee and cereal. "Now I have been a scoundrel in my life," he admitted. "I've been selfish, I've been cruel at times, hard to work with and ungrateful... But so many of you have given me a second chance". He then encouraged everyone in the room to "guide each other to redemption". An emotional Joaquin finished by quoting some lyrics from his late brother River: "Run to the rescue with love, and peace will follow."
