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.
The creator of #OscarsSoWhite, @ReignOfApril, reflects on 4 years since the birth of the hashtag. She hopes the new Academy members have “issues of diversity, equity & inclusion at the forefront of their minds when they’re creating films and watching them” https://t.co/bcJkiS1V4D pic.twitter.com/G9lXPLWlsS
— LAT Entertainment (@latimesent) February 24, 2019
Before the show began, “Pose” star Billy Porter nailed best dressed of the night in this tuxedo dress designed by Christian Siriano:
Thank you, @THR, for this behind the scenes look at my look!! #Oscars2019https://t.co/nPtt8XYD1y
— Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) February 25, 2019
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:
Relive @queenwillrock and @adamlambert’s opening performance. #Oscars. pic.twitter.com/mGQrdJCuyZ
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 25, 2019
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”:
.@ReginaKing wins Best Supporting Actress for #IfBealeStreetCouldTalk at the #Oscars! pic.twitter.com/0jpfR2Y2L4
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) February 25, 2019
“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:
Best Documentary Feature winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and @jimkchin dedicate their #FreeSolo win to @AlexHonnold: “This film is for everyone who believes in the impossible” https://t.co/8hCKzNjdBi pic.twitter.com/ok0bWq6erZ
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 25, 2019
“Black Panther” designer Hannah Beachler followed up on her historic Achievement in Production Design nomination by becoming the first Black winner in that category:
‘Black Panther’s’ Hannah Beachler becomes the first Black production designer to win an #Oscar! ????https://t.co/zUMEYEMx7u pic.twitter.com/p5RQdjkfwq
— ESSENCE (@Essence) February 25, 2019
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:
Ruth Carter’s got it! Her costume design from #BlackPanther won big at the #Oscars! pic.twitter.com/IAIkASeqWH
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) February 25, 2019
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:
To @alfonsocuaron:
— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) February 25, 2019
Thank you for looking where others don’t and paying tribute to the 70 million domestic workers in the world. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/zHgWW4r01D
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:
Mahershala Ali gives an acceptance speech for his second Best Supporting Actor award.
— ABC News (@ABC) February 25, 2019
He dedicated the award to his grandmother for her encouragement. “I would not be here without her.” https://t.co/zSrvQG8ZE6 pic.twitter.com/kGFWMNEn11
“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:
Spider-Verse wins it! “When a kid says ‘he looks like me,’ or ‘he speaks Spanish like us,’ we feel like we already won.” https://t.co/PPCtw2CXNs #oscars pic.twitter.com/UkNJKix7hE
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 25, 2019
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:
“To all of the nerdy girls out there who hide behind their sketch books, don’t be afraid to tell your stories to the world!” Congrats to the team behind #Bao on winning Best Animated Short at the #Oscars! pic.twitter.com/gxB6j3HN0i
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) February 25, 2019
“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:
“A period should end a sentence—not a girl’s education!” declares one of the makers behind “Period. End of Sentence,” which won for Best Documentary (Short Subject). #Oscars https://t.co/XQU450bcno pic.twitter.com/EuPNI34bgD
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 25, 2019
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:
Talk about jumping for joy! Spike Lee delivers a powerful speech after #BlacKkKlansman wins an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/K96f3KBA8w
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) February 25, 2019
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:
#Oscars Moment: @ItsRamiMalek accepts Oscar for Best Actor In A Leading Role for his portrayal in @BoRhapMovie. pic.twitter.com/PwmrYI35WN
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 25, 2019
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:
Me: OMG- is the Academy changing? Is it really embracing stories of PoC and LGBTQ communities? That’s AMA—
— Yolanda Machado (@SassyMamainLA) February 25, 2019
Academy: GREEN BOOK BEST PICTURE #Oscars
Me: pic.twitter.com/kJzVzT9jQi
Let us remind you that Freddie Mercury died of AIDS and that the fight to end it still continues. Rami Malek failed to mention that in his speech. #Oscars
— ACT UP New York (@actupny) February 25, 2019
Freddie Mercury was unapologetically himself, as a bisexual man, yet Rami Malek erased his sexuality by calling him a gay man during his acceptance speech. But OKAY. #Oscars #LGBT #LGBTQ #BiErasure https://t.co/S6bKYWd4AK
— DB (@db) February 25, 2019
Great films about race and racism from 2018:
— Witney Seibold (@WitneySeibold) February 25, 2019
BLINDSPOTTING
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
BLACK PANTHER
THE HATE U GIVE
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
BLACKKKLANSMAN
Horrendously mediocre film about race and racism from 2018:
GREEN BOOK
Best Picture, 2018:
[Weary sigh]
Spike Lee’s thoughts on that Best Picture win? “Let me take another sip. NEXT QUESTION!” ? ? #Oscars pic.twitter.com/iy76RvYk77
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) February 25, 2019
Visit Oscars.com for the full list of winners.