The 97th Academy Awards (or Oscars) took place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on March 2. Hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, the ceremony honored the best of filmmaking in 2024. With the Neon-distributed film “Anora” coming out on top with five wins, the evening was also a celebration of independent cinema and creatives.
This year’s Oscars brought in 18.1 million viewers during the evening, a decrease from last year’s 19.5 million viewers. It was the first year that the award show was streamed live on Hulu, with some users on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressing their frustration with the broadcast throughout the night.
The 97th Academy Awards was also the first ceremony in two years to not feature comedian Jimmy Kimmel as the host. Despite this change, host O’Brien brought his signature self-deprecating humor and energetic persona to the Dolby’s stage.
During one particularly hilarious moment, O’Brien warned the audience that anyone whose acceptance speech goes too long will be met with a slightly disappointed John Lithgow, who was there to support best picture nominee “Conclave.”
Throughout the evening, O’Brien also took the time to honor the award show’s host city of Los Angeles in the aftermath of January’s deadly wildfires. The Oscars began with a heartfelt montage of movies that take place in the iconic California city, transitioning into a performance from “Wicked” co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
Erivo, who was nominated for best actress in a leading role, brought the audience to tears with her rendition of “Defying Gravity,” made even more emotional by the image of downtown Los Angeles projected behind her.
O’Brien also made sure to acknowledge the people in the industry who are an essential part of the filmmaking process, but often go unnoticed.
“Yes, we will honor many beautiful and talented A-list stars (tonight), but the Oscars also shines a light on an incredible community of people you will never see,” O’Brien said during his opening monologue. “Craftspeople, artisans, technicians, costumers. Hardworking men and women behind the camera who have devoted their lives to making films.”
While this year’s Academy Awards was at times predictable, it also celebrated the hard work and dedication of creatives from all corners of the film industry.
The evening’s ceremony was able to bring some much needed recognition to those very craftspeople. The award for best costume design went to theater veteran Paul Tazewell for his work on “Wicked,” making him the first Black man to win in that category. Another first came from Zoe Saldaña’s win for best actress in a supporting role for her role in “Emilia Pérez.” Saldaña became the first Dominican American to win an Academy Award.
As with every Oscars ceremony, this year also featured a handful of predictable wins. The award for best actor in a leading role went to Adrien Brody for his portrayal of fictional architect László Tóth in “The Brutalist.” Brody won the same award in 2003 for his work in Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist.”
“The Brutalist” also took home the awards for best cinematography, awarded to director of photography Lol Crawley, and best original score, awarded to Daniel Blumberg.
The evening also saw a sweep for Sean Baker’s dramedy “Anora,” which won five of the six awards it was nominated for. Twenty-five-year-old actress Mikey Madison took home the award for best actress in a leading role for her work as the hilarious and deeply sympathetic title character. The film also brought home the last award of the night, earning the trophy for best picture.
Baker, who was awarded the Oscar for best directing, took the time during the acceptance speech for best picture to highlight independent filmmaking and artists.
“I want to thank the academy for recognizing a truly independent film,” said Baker at the end of the night. “This film was made on the blood, sweat and tears of incredible indie artists. Long live independent film.”
While this year’s Academy Awards was at times predictable, it also celebrated the hard work and dedication of creatives from all corners of the film industry. Aided by O’Brien’s dry wit and creative comedic bits, the 97th Oscars ceremony was an entertaining evening for film lovers and filmmakers alike.
