The Oscars are awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to honor excellence in cinematic achievements. This year, the Oscars was hosted by fourth-time-host Jimmy Kimmel, who lit up the room with his jokes.
For Oscar nominations, films are nominated by members of the Academy. The nominations are then voted on by the entire Academy membership. The nominees with the most votes in each category become the official nominees for that year. People then vote online for each category’s ultimate winner.
Some of the Oscar nominee winners of 2024 consisted of:
“Best Picture” Winner: Oppenheimer
“Best Animated Short” Winner: War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John Lennon and Yoko Ono
“Best International Feature” Winner: The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)
“Best Documentary Feature” Winner: 20 Days in Mariupol
“Best Original Song” Winner: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell, "What Was I Made For?" from Barbie
“Best Makeup and Hairstyling” Winner: Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston, Poor Things
Winning an Oscar is considered one of the highest honors in the film industry; so many actors, directors, and other industry professionals strive to win an Oscar during their careers. Therefore after the winners were announced and called to the stage to retrieve their Oscar trophy, they each shared speeches, thanking people who have helped them as well as the crowd.
This year, the Oscars faced some criticism and controversy for Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and many others when they decided to show up to the Oscars with red hand pins above their hearts. The pins are from the organization Artists4Ceasfire, which advocates for the ceasefire of Israel, promoting anti-Semitism all over America.
Overall, the Oscars remain a significant cultural event that celebrates the art and craft of filmmaking while reflecting the values and priorities of the entertainment industry.
By: Emilie Bensoussan (9th) & Adina Shagalov (9th)