On March 12th, at 8pm, the annually famous Oscars aired. Millions of people tuned in to ABC or streamed on Hulu+, Live TV, or DIRECTV, watching in anticipation to see if their favorite Hollywood celebrities will win some of the most prestigious awards. 

The show opened up with Jimmy Kimmel taking the stage. Within his monologue, he made references to the controversy that occurred last year at the Oscars, in which Will Smith slapped Chris Brown and poked fun at the audience. The stage set-up was eye-catching, almost serving as a futuristic movie theater, and the fashion choices were even more well-put-together, with celebrities like Rihanna in Alaïa, Michael B. Jordan in Louis Vuitton, and Mindy Kaling in Vera Wang to name a few. 

While this year’s Oscars seemed more conventional, what really seemed to stand out were the heartfelt “thank you” speeches, and the many groundbreaking, history-changing winners. A specific speech, that truly stood out, came from the winner of “Best Actress in a Leading Role”, Michelle Yeoh. Being part of the popular, award-winning film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Yeoh was the first Asian woman to win such an award, and expressed her gratitude in such an empowering way, stating, “For all the little boys and girls, who look like me, watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that dreams do come true.” Such beauty, elegance, and hopefulness behind her words help to evoke inspiration for so many other children out there who feel they are in a world where they are unaccepted or looked down upon. Seeing such history being made represents the advancements minorities are beginning to make in the industry, and greater acceptance all around, which will work to inspire many others to follow their dreams, with an absence of worries regarding discrimination and bias. 

Furthermore, further records were broken, as the film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, ended up taking home seven Oscars! The last time such domination was seen was back in 2009, when Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars. However, this is the first film to win seven “above-the-line” prestigious awards, and only one of three films to win three acting awards. The film appeals greatly to others, as the mostly Asian cast is permitted to play characters that they usually would have gotten rejected from being in basic Hollywood movies. Throughout the night, the undying love for the film could be interpreted and heard, through the cheers and unwavering support in the crowd. The constant wins created almost unified emotional reactions and connections.  

While this year’s Oscars did not involve any physical altercations, like last, it was interesting in the sense we got to see records being broken and further acceptance of minorities in the acting industry. To briefly highlight other parts of the nice, here is a list of all the winners and awards: 

Actor in a Leading Role– Brendan Fraser (The Whale)

Actor in a Supporting Role-Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Actress in a Leading Role-Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Actress in a Supporting Role-Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Animated Feature Film–Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio

Cinematography– All Quiet on the Western Front 

Costume Design–Blank Panther: Wakanda Forever

Directing–Everything Everywhere All at Once

Documentary Feature Film– Navalny

Documentary Short Film–The Elephant Whisperers 

Film Editing–Everything Everywhere All at Once

International Feature Film- All Quiet on the Western Front

Makeup and Hairstyling–The Whale

Music (Original Score)-All Quiet on the Western Front

Music (Original song)–Naatu Naatu

Best Picture- Everything Everywhere All at Once

Production Design– All Quiet on the Western Front

Short Film (Animated)- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. 

Short Film (Live Action)- An Irish Goodbye

Sound– Top Gun: Maverick

Visual Effects– Avatar: The Way of Water

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)– Women Talking

Writing (Original Screenplay)- Everything Everywhere All at Once

Undoubtedly, this was a fantastic night for everyone: nominees, winners, and viewers alike. It is safe to say, this year’s Oscars was a popular, record-breaking success, and left many people inspired and content!