The 91st Academy Awards arrived at the tailend of a film awards season marked by controversy around winners, hosts and questions about the industry’s committment to representation and equity. Last night’s (February 24) ceremony included some key wins for, and moments involving, the artists of color at the center of these concerns.


Before the show began, “Pose” star Billy Porter nailed best dressed of the night in this tuxedo dress designed by Christian Siriano:


The hostless festivities kicked off with Adam Lambert and the surviving members of Queen performing some of the hits featured in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The Best Picture nominee focused on the rising star of the band’s Desi and Parsi frontman, Freddie Mercury:


Regina King praised James Baldwin and her mother, who sat next to her in the front row, while accepting the Actress in a Supporting Role award for her performance in Barry Jenkins’ film adaptation of Baldwin’s “If Beale Street Could Talk”:


“Free Solo” director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi thanked distributor National Geographic “for hiring women and people of color, because we only make films better,” while accepting Best Documentary Feature with co-director and partner, Jimmy Chin: 


“Black Panther” designer Hannah Beachler followed up on her historic Achievement in Production Design nomination by becoming the first Black winner in that category: 


Beachler recognized “Black Panther” collaborator Ruth E. Carter in her remarks. On her third nomination, Carter also made history as the first Black woman to earn Best Costume Design:


Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón won Best Directing and Cinematography for “Roma,” which was supported at the ceremony by the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Cuarón recognized the social justice organization, and Indigenous lead actress Yalitza Aparicio, in his remarks for the directing award:


Mahershala Ali thanked Dr. Don Shirley, the character he portrayed in the controversial Best Picture award-winning “Green Book,” at the top of his speech for Best Supporting Actor:


“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” co-directors Phil Lord, who is Cuban American, and Peter Ramsey, who is Black, addressed the fans who advocated for Miles Morales’ biggest feature so far while accepting the award for Best Animated Feature Film: 


Chinese-Canadian director Domee Shi won Best Animated Short for “Bao,” her Pixar project about a lonely Chinese woman in Toronto who gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings comes to life:


“I can’t believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar!” Iranian-American director Rayka Zehtabchi exclaimed when she accepted the Best Documentary Short award for “Period. End of Sentence,” her film about women fighting stigma around menstruation in rural India:


Spike Lee, decked out in purple and gold as a tribute to Prince, won his first Oscar alongside the co-writers of “BlacKkKlansman” for Best Adapted Screenplay:


Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek thanked his immigrant family while accepting Best Actor in a Leading Role for controversially portraying Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” His, Ali and King’s victories meant that thespians of color dominated the acting categories for the first time in Oscars history: 


In one of a handful of moments when the Academy Awards highlighted racial justice movements, Civil Rights Movement leader and United States Representative John Lewis (D-Ga.) appeared alongside Amandla Stenberg (“The Hate U Give”) to present “Green Book,” which eventually won Best Picture:


The Academy’s choices surrounding “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Green Book” reinvigorated criticism about how the films portrayed their LGBTQ and Black characters, respectively:


Visit Oscars.com for the full list of winners.

Tags
Alfonso Cuarón
Bao
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
If Beale Street Could Talk
Mahershala Ali
Oscars
Rami Malek
Regina King
Spike Lee