Oscar Winners 2024 – Highlights from the Awards Ceremony

Oscars 2024

by Mascha DeikovaMarch 11^th, 2024

After all the anticipation and waiting to see who the winners are, the 96th Academy Awards is officially over. The big night for filmmakers at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles went rather predictably. Yet, as usual, some films had more luck than others. So, let’s take a brief look at the Oscar winners of 2024, and recap the highlights of the ceremony.

As expected, the films that prospered most were “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things”. The former took home seven awards, including the most desirable prize for Best Picture. At the same time, critically acclaimed Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” was less successful, winning zero Oscars last night. Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” and Celine Song’s debut “Past Lives” also left empty-handed.

The biggest of all Oscar winners 2024

Without a doubt, Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic “Oppenheimer” was a triumph at this year’s Academy Awards. Not only did it take home the most coveted prize, but it also brought the golden statues to a few renowned first-timers. Thus, Christopher Nolan finally won his first-ever Oscar for Directing, Robert Downey Jr. – for Supporting Actor, and Cillian Murphy was named the best male lead after his first nomination. Apart from that, Murphy is also the first Irish-born winner in this category. Known as a rather quiet person, he kept his acceptance speech short, giving thanks and mentioning the relevance of “Oppenheimer” in today’s reality:

We made a film about a man who created an atomic bomb. For better or for worse, we’re living in Oppenheimer’s world. I would like to dedicate this to all the peacemakers out there.

Cillian Murphy in his Oscar acceptance speech

“Oppenheimer” also picked up awards for editing, its phenomenal score, and Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography. (In case you missed it, we broke down some of the scenes and how they were captured here).

Some of the female Oscar winners 2024

Running closely behind in the number of nominations, Yorgos Lanthimos’s bizarre fantasy “Poor Things” tallied four wins. Among them is Emma Stone’s Best Actress Academy Award for her stunning performance in the role of Bella Baxter. Although it’s her second time standing on the Academy Awards stage (previously winning for “La La Land”), Emma got emotional and gave a chaotic yet genuine and touching speech.

Among other female winners is Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall”, who took home the award for Best Original Screenplay together with her co-writer Arthur Harari. This is also the first time a woman has won in this writing category.

Traditional music breaks at the Oscars

One of the biggest highlights of the Awards evening was Ryan Gosling’s epic singing. (Emma Stone even mentioned in her Oscars acceptance speech that her dress broke during his performance of “I’m just Ken”). Watch it here!

Despite his undeniable “kenergy”, the award for Best Original Song went to another musical composition from “Barbie”, namely Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”. And with it, the 22-year-old singer became the youngest two-time Oscar winner in history (Billie Eilish already won the prize for “No Time to Die” in 2022). That being said, it is the only prize for the biggest box office success last year – Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”.

Other Oscar winners 2024

It was not a big surprise that Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest” picked up the Best International Feature award, beating Wim Wender’s bittersweet Japanese drama “Perfect Days”. This historical film about Nazis living obliviously next to the Auschwitz concentration camp also got Oscar for Best Sound.

Among other winners are Da’vine Joy Randolph (for her supporting role in “The Holdovers”), Hayao Miyazaki (who took home a prize for his big fantastical animation feature “The Boy and the Heron”), and Cord Jefferson (Best Adapted Screenplay for “American Fiction“). War documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” picked up an Oscar as Best Documentary Feature.

You can read the full list of Oscar winners 2024 on the official Academy Award side.

What are your impressions of the Oscars night? Did you find the choice of winners fair? What works should have gotten more recognition? Share your opinions with us in the comments below!

Feature image: the makers of “Oppenheimer” in the Oscars press room
Image credit: A.M.P.A.S., 2024