The Oscars have historically established themselves as one of the most important events on the planet. Year after year, Hollywood’s most important celebrities dress up to attend a ceremony that is broadcast all over the world. We, as always, watch it from the comfort of our couch and with the Twitter app open ready to comment on all the remarkable moments of the gala.
The awards always leave highlights that we all remember even though the years go by. And this year has been no less. What’s more, it could be said that it has been one of the most anecdotal years.
The award for the most surprising moment of the night went to Will Smith who slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will’s wife. Many thought this was all scripted, but it was a real event that happened without anyone expecting it. Smith, who after this event would receive the Oscar for Best Actor for King Richard, apologized in his speech to the Academy, the nominees and the Williams family whom he also thanked for entrusting him with their story. “I hope the Academy will invite me back,” added the actor in tears. His first Oscar, after three nominations, has been put on the back burner after this incredible event.
Anecdotes aside, the 94th Oscar Awards also left good moments and some unexpected awards. Of the 23 categories, eight were announced before the start of the televised broadcast in order to lighten the ceremony. This decision was not welcomed by either the nominees or the public, who believe that these categories also deserve their space in the gala.
Despite having Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem nominated, Spain could only bring home one Oscar. This was Alberto Mielgo who won his first Oscar for the animated short El Limpiaparabrisas (The Windshield Wiper).
CODA, a film produced by Apple TV, won the award for Best Picture. The entire crew took the stage to receive the Oscar and give thanks for giving visibility to the deaf community. CODA cast member Tony Kotsur also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first deaf actor to win this award.
And if we talk about visibility, we must also talk about powerful women. The predictions came true and Ariana DeBose won the award for Best Supporting Actress. She became the first openly queer and Afro-Latina woman to win this distinctive award. Jane Campion also made history by becoming the third woman to win an Oscar for Best Director for The Power of the Dog, a film that deals with themes such as repressed sexuality and fragile masculinity.
Finally, we cannot leave without mentioning Jessica Chastain who received the award for Best Actress for The Eyes of Tammy Faye and who gave a speech supporting the LGTBI+ collective.
The statuette for Best Animated Film went to Encanto, a film that tells the life story of the Colombian Madrigal family. “Thanks to the whole country of Colombia, it’s a film about family,” said its directors Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Charise Castro Smith as they picked up the Oscar.
As every year, music was also part of the ceremony. The 2022 gala featured performances such as Beyoncé singing Be Alive, an original song by King Richard, Billie Eilish and Finneas singing No Time To Die, which would later win the award for Best Original Song, or the surprising performances of Sebastián Yatra, the cast of Encanto, Megan Thee Stallion, Becky G and Luis Fonsi, performing some songs from the movie Encanto.
And the surprises didn’t end there since, to ARMY’s good fortune, BTS also made an appearance in a short video where the K-pop band confessed that Disney’s Coco was their favorite musical movie.
Dácil Palmero
