Highlights:
- The Oscars 2022 was held at LA’s Dolby Theatre.
- Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer hosted the 94th Academy Awards.
- Best Actor and Best Actress awards went to Will Smith and Jessica Chastain, respectively.
In every way, CODA’s massive win at the 94th Academy Awards is monumental. The film bagged three major awards of the night: Best Film, Best Supporting Actor for the hearing-impaired Troy Kotsur, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film, which is an English adaptation of the French film La Famille Belier from 2014, was written and directed by Sian Heder. The movie features Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones), a deaf woman who tries to strike a balance between her personal life and her family’s fishing business. The Power Of The Dog, which won just one of its 12 nominations – Best Director for Jane Campion – was beaten by CODA.
The acting awards were given to those who had never won before. Will Smith won Best Actor for King Richard, delivering an emotional speech in which he apologised for punching presenter Chris Rock earlier in the ceremony for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Jessica Chastain won Best Actress for The Eyes Of Tammy Faye, and she was given her Oscar by Anthony Hopkins, who did not attend last year’s ceremony to receive his Best Actor Oscar but showed up this year to give Jessica her Oscar.
Troy Kotsur became the second deaf actor to win an Academy Award, after his CODA co-star Marlee Matlin. Troy Kotsur thanked his family and the CODA team after receiving the award. He also dedicated his award to the CODA community and the deaf. “This is our moment,” he continued. In sign language, the actor got a standing ovation. Ariana DeBose received Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story; Rita Moreno had won the Oscar for playing Anita in the original film 60 years earlier.
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Dune took home six of the ten awards for which it was nominated. Drive My Car from Japan won Best International Feature, Encanto won Best Animated Feature while Writing With Fire from India lost to Summer Of Soul for Best Documentary Feature.
This year’s Academy Awards, like most others, has navigated controversy. Despite universal criticism, eight prizes were awarded off-camera: Best Documentary Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short, Best Original Score, Best Makeup And Hair, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Production Design. Actress Rachel Zegler, who stars in Best Picture nominee West Side Story, was invited to present after disclosing on social media that she had not received an invitation to the Oscars.
The 94th Academy Awards were hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Samuel L Jackson, writer-actor-director Elaine May and Liv Ullmann, all received honorary Oscars. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was given to Danny Glover.
Here is the full list of winners:
Best Picture: CODA
Best Director: Jane Campion (The Power Of The Dog)
Best Actor: Will Smith (King Richard)
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain (The Eyes Of Tammy Faye)
Best Supporting Actor: Troy Kotsur (CODA)
Best Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
Best Original Screenplay: Belfast
Best Adapted Screenplay: CODA
Best International Feature Film: Drive My Car (Japan)
Best Animated Feature Film: Encanto
Best Documentary Feature: Summer Of Soul
Best Documentary Short: The Queen of Basketball
Best Animated Short: The Windshield Wiper
Best Live Action Short: The Long Goodbye
Best Original Score: Dune
Best Original Song: No Time To Die (No Time To Die)
Best Cinematography: Dune
Best Costume Design: Cruella
Best Production Design: Dune
Best Makeup and Hair: The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Best Sound: Dune
Best Film Editing: Dune
Best Visual Effects: Dune
