Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ Dominates Oscars 2024 with Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Best Director; John Cena Presents Best Costume Award Nude!
Los Angeles, 11th March 2024: Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed biopic, Oppenheimer, emerged victorious at this year’s Oscars, securing seven awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, and Best Director for Nolan himself. Despite facing tough competition from Barbie during the Barbenheimer showdown last summer, Oppenheimer has now triumphed in the awards race. Greta Gerwig’s Mattel comedy, Barbie, secured only one Oscar for Best Original Song.
In a historic win, Cillian Murphy, in his first Oscar nomination, was named Best Actor, making him the first-ever Irish-born winner in this category. Robert Downey Jr. took home the Best Supporting Actor award, marking his first Oscar win after two previous nominations. Nolan, too, claimed his first Best Director Oscar, with Oppenheimer also winning in the categories of editing, cinematography, and score.
Emma Stone pulled off a surprise win for Best Actress in Yorgos Lanthimos’s offbeat period comedy, Poor Things, beating out the favourite Lily Gladstone. Stone’s emotional speech emphasized the collaborative effort behind the film, which also won awards for production design, hairstyling and makeup, and costume design.
Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama, The Zone of Interest, was named Best International Feature, making it the first British film to win in this category. The film also received the award for sound and addressed the Israel-Palestine conflict in Glazer’s poignant speech.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the 70s-set drama The Holdovers, expressing gratitude and tears during her acceptance speech.
Barbie, despite eight nominations, secured only one award for Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” as the Best Original Song. Ryan Gosling’s performance of “I’m Just Ken” and Justine Triet and Arthur Harari’s win for Best Original Screenplay for Anatomy of a Fall were among the noteworthy moments.
Other notable wins included Cord Jefferson for Best Adapted Screenplay for American Fiction, the documentary feature 20 Days in Mauripol depicting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Japanese cinema’s success with The Boy and the Heron winning Best Animated Feature and Godzilla Minus One claiming Best Visual Effects.
The ceremony faced a brief delay due to a pro-Palestine protest, and celebrities like Billie Eilish and Ramy Youssef expressed support for a ceasefire in Gaza by wearing red pins.
Host Jimmy Kimmel addressed various issues, including strikes, Greta Gerwig’s non-nomination, and Bradley Cooper’s award show habits. The night also brought back the tradition of previous winners presenting acting Oscars, with a heartfelt in-memoriam segment honouring stars like Tom Wilkinson, Tina Turner, Matthew Perry, and Glenda Jackson.
Oppenheimer’s success made it the highest-grossing Best Picture winner since Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in 2004, and the first film to win Best Picture, Actor, and Supporting Actor since Ben Hur in 1960. Notable films like Killers of the Flower Moon, Past Lives, Maestro, Nyad, and Society of the Snow went home empty-handed. Last year’s major winner, Everything Everywhere All at Once, won seven awards, including Best Picture.
At the Oscars 2024, John Cena surprised everyone by walking on stage nude to present the Best Costume Award. Host Jimmy Kimmel had teased the unconventional entrance, convincing Cena to appear without clothes. Cena, initially hesitant, covered himself with the Best Costume winner’s envelope, and Kimmel draped him with a curtain after announcing the category. Cena, visibly relieved, presented the award to “Poor Things.” The unexpected moment left the audience and the internet in laughter, with Margot Robbie seen amused in the crowd. The video of this wild incident quickly went viral.
