Christopher Nolan’s epic drama on the eponymous American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer swept the majority of the main awards at the Oscars 2024 held in Los Angeles. 

The star-studded biopic Oppenheimer, nominated in 13 categories, won seven awards including Best Picture, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing. 

It was a night of firsts for the film as Cillian Murphy, a first-time nominee, won Best Actor for his titular role as the father of the atomic bomb. He dedicated his win to the peacemakers everywhere, saying, “For better or for worse, we really are living in Oppenheimer’s world.”

 Whilst nominated three times, Robert Downey Jr. just won his first Oscar. He took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

 In his speech, Downey thanked in jest his “terrible childhood and the Academy, in that order” as well as his “veterinarian” wife Susan Downey, who’s actually a film producer. He then honored Susan, who, he said found him “a snarling refuge pet and loved me back to life, that’s why I’m here.”

He continued, referencing to his ups and downs as an actor. “I needed this job more than it needed me… I stand here before you a better man because of it.”

Nolan, who has eight nominations so far in his two-decade career, won his first Oscar as Best Director.

Surprise win, In memoriam segment

Emma Stone pulled a surprise win over Killers of the Flower Moon’s Lily Gladstone, who was named Best Actress at last month’s SAG Awards, a known Oscars predictor.

Stone nabbed the Oscar with her excellent portrayal of central character Bella Baxter in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, an offbeat period comedy about a young woman in Victorian London who is resurrected via a brain transplant. It is based on the 1992 novel of the same title by Alasdair Gray. 

“It’s not about me; it’s about a team that came together to make something greater than the sum of its parts,” she said in her emotion-filled speech that encompassed her other role in the movie as a co-producer.

Poor Things also won the Oscars for Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best in Costume Design.

Stars who passed on last year, such as Tom Wilkinson, Tina Turner, Matthew Perry and Glenda Jackson, were honored in the annual “In Memoriam” segment.

Jimmy Kimmel hosted the ceremony for the fourth time.  

              

Here’s the complete list of winners:

•Best Picture: Oppenheimer


•Best Directing: Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

•Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): American Fiction

•Best Writing (Original Screenplay: Anatomy of a Fall


•Best Actor in a Leading Role: Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

•Best Actress in a Leading Role: Emma Stone in Poor Things

•Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Robert Downey Jr. in Oppenheimer

•Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

•Best Animated Feature Film: The Boy and the Heron

•Best Cinematography: Oppenheimer

•Best Costume Design: Poor Things

•Best Documentary Feature Film: 20 Days in Mariupol

•Best Documentary Short Film: The Last Repair Shop


•Best Film Editing: Oppenheimer

•Best International Feature Film: The Zone of Interest

•Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Poor Things

•Best Music (Original Score): Oppenheimer

•Best Music (Original Song): “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie
Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

•Best Production Design: Poor Things

•Best Animated Short Film: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

•Best Live Action Short Film: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

•Best Sound: The Zone of Interest

•Best Visual Effects: Godzilla Minus One

•Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): American Fiction

•Best Writing (Original Screenplay): Anatomy of a Fall