The 93rd annual Academy Awards has come to a close but has given us many moments to remember. Records were broken and history was made. While Nomadland swept the coveted Best Picture award, this year’s inclusion and diversity was at the centre of the stage. From celebrating Black culture to WOC’s breakthrough, here are 5 moments to remember from the 2021 Oscars ceremony.
DANIEL KALUUYA WINS HIS FIRST OSCAR
The actor won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah. Debuting his career acting on Skins, Kaluuya quickly became an accredited actor after his role in Jordan Peele’s Get Out. Kaluuya shared this Oscar with his co-star, also a nominee for Best Supporting Actor, stating “I share this honour with the light that is LaKeith Stanfield.” He then went on to state how grateful he is to be alive, and even thanked his parents for having sex… live, at the Oscar’s… And of course, we got to see his mum’s priceless real-time reaction.
CHLOÉ ZHAO BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN OF COLOUR TO WIN BEST DIRECTOR
Zhao became the first woman of colour, and only the second woman ever, to win Best Director (the first being Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010). It was also the first year where two women were nominated in the category, with Zhao and Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Women. During her acceptance speech, Zhao quoted a Chinese poem called The Three Classics, stating “People at birth are inherently good”. She then went on to say “Even though sometimes it might seem like the opposite is true, I have always found goodness in the people I met, everywhere I went in the world”. Though a celebratory moment, this year marked the 93rd annual ceremony for the Academy Awards. 93 years of awards and this is the first time ever a woman of colour wins Best Director? As Kaluuya said in his acceptance speech, there’s still “work to do”.
H.E.R. WINS BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“There’s absolutely going to be an EGOT in my future, hopefully” stated the singer-songwriter H.E.R. who just won her first Oscar for her song Fight for You which appears in Judas and the Black Messiah. EGOT’s, acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, have become a sacred trophy for Hollywood’s elite, with only 16 people ever having received it. Her win comes one month after receiving a Grammy for Song Of The Year for her song I Can’t Breathe. Here’s to hoping H.E.R. takes home an Emmy and a Tony Award next to complete the set.
YUH-JUNG YOUN BECAME THE FIRST KOREAN TO WIN AN ACTING OSCAR
The actor became the first Korean to take home an acting Oscar for her performance in the A24 production Minari. Presented by none other than Brad Pitt, Youn accepted the award by explaining how often her name has been mispronounced, including by Pitt himself. Though, she went on to say “tonight you are all forgiven” as she overflowed with pride and joy due to her successful night.
PIXAR’S FIRST FILM TO FEATURE A BLACK CHARACTER AS THE LEAD WON BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The actor became the first Korean to take home an acting Oscar for her performance in the A24 production Minari. Presented by none other than Brad Pitt, Youn accepted the award by explaining how often her name has been mispronounced, including by Pitt himself. Though, she went on to say “tonight you are all forgiven” as she overflowed with pride and joy due to her successful night.
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See also: THE 2021 GRAMMY HIGHLIGHTS
