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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kent State chapter.

This was the first year in a long time that I did not feel as connected to the Oscars leading up the show. I did not make my predictions ahead of time and did not engage in much discourse related to the nominees. This is not to say the films nominated were not worth my attention. In fact, I saw many that I really enjoyed. Perhaps I have been getting tired of feeling let down by the Oscars each year in some way, whether it’s a lack of representation or a lack of attention to what the viewers want to see. I went into this year’s awards with low expectations, which were strangely exceeded by a night full of shocking, and frankly confusing, moments. In case you missed it, here are all of the important moments and awards.

If the award has a * next to it, my prediction was correct!

The Hosts

The 94th Academy Awards were hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes. As Schumer put it, “This time, the Academy hired three women to host because it’s cheaper than hiring one man.” All jokes aside, these three were the first women to host since Ellen DeGeneres in 2014 and the first official host for the show in general in some years. As every host seems to do, there were some jokes that did not land, but overall they kept the show moving well.

Beyoncé? BeyoncĂ©?

BeyoncĂ© Knowles started the show with a performance of “Be Alive” from the film King Richard which was nominated for Best Original Song. A dynamic and exciting way to open the show!

Best Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story*

A historic win, Ariana DeBose wins for her portrayal as Anita in West Side Story, which Rita Moreno won for her portrayal of Anita in 1962. She marks only the second Latina actor to win in this category. In a heartfelt speech, she talked about Moreno (who was proudly cheering her on in the audience) and the importance of her representation as the first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar for this category. Interested in my thoughts on the original versus the newest adaptation of West Side Story? Read my review here.

Best Sound: Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett, Dune*

As they seem to do each year, the Academy threatened to cut some categories from the live show, but due to obvious backlash, they aired them though this time edited harshly for time. Did this make the show any shorter in the long run? Absolutely not! They also appear to have combined the Sound Editing and Sound Mixing categories for some reason


Best Cinematography: Greg Fraser, Dune*

Best Documentary (Short Subject): Ben Proudfoot, The Queen of Basketball

Best Visual Effects: Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer, Dune*

As you can probably tell, Dune is starting to rack up numbers here.

Best Animated Feature Film: Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer, Encanto*

The Top 5 Cheer Worthy Moments?

In a hilariously awkward list, the Academy debuts the top five most cheer worthy moments in cinema of all time. Who voted on this? The number one spot going to “The Flash entering the speed force” was joked about online all night for its ridiculousness.

Best Short Film (Animated): Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez, The Windshield Wiper

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Troy Kotsur, CODA*

Troy Kotsur becomes the second deaf person to win an Oscar and delivers a very heart-warming speech.

Best International Feature Film: Drive My Car, Japan*

Moment of Silence for Ukraine

The Academy urges all to stand with Ukraine in any way they can in a moment of silence.

Best Short Film (Live Action): Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed, The Long Goodbye

Riz Ahmed wins his first Oscar after being nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role last year for Sound of Metal.

Best Costume Design: Jenny Beavan, Cruella*

My favorite category! Jenny Beavan wins while wearing the protest slogan for the Costume Designers Guild movement for pay equity, “naked without us.”

We Don’t Talk About
Megan Thee Stallion?!

In a live performance of Encanto’s hit song, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” Megan Thee Stallion makes a surprise appearance to sing a verse. I, for one, thought it was delightfully random, but the performance overall seems to have received mixed reviews from fans of the film.

Best Writing (Original Screenplay): Belfast, written by Kenneth Branagh

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): CODA, written by SiĂąn Heder

Best Music (Original Score): Hans Zimmer, Dune

Best Film Editing: Joe Walker, Dune*

Best Documentary (Feature): Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein, Summer of Soul (
Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Hey everyone
did Will Smith just slap Chris Rock on live television?!

Yes, in a shocking and confirmed not scripted moment, Chris Rock was presenting
something, when he began to make a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. Although the exact intent of the joke is unclear, Jada Pinkett Smith has been open about her struggle with alopecia. This joke infuriated Will Smith, who then walked up to the stage, slapped Rock in the face and cursed at him from his seat to keep his wife’s name out of his jokes. This jaw-dropping moment was mostly cut from the televised version and caused quite the stir in the audience, with strong silence carrying over the rest of the show.

Betty White’s Tribute

During the In Memoriam, Jamie Lee Curtis walked on stage to pay tribute to Betty White and her commitment to adopting animals. Curtis held an adorable puppy named Mac and Cheese and I thought this was most certainly necessary to mention.

Best Production Design: Patrice Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos, Dune

Best Music (Original Song): Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, “No Time to Die”*

Best Director: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog*

With this win, this is the first time two female directors have won back to back in the Oscars after last year’s win for ChloĂ© Zhao for Nomandland.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Will Smith, King Richard*

I encourage everyone to go listen to his acceptance speech, where Smith graciously accepts this award with tears in his eyes. He connected his role in the film as Richard Williams to himself as a fierce protector of his family. Smith notes that Denzel Washington pulled him aside after the before-mentioned events and told him, “at your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.”

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh, The Eyes of Tammy Faye*

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

An exciting surprise for me, Jessica Chastain wins her first Oscar for her portrayal as Tammy Faye.

Best Picture: Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsbeger, CODA

Another exciting moment to end an interesting show! Presented by Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli, CODA breaks many records by winning Best Picture, including being the first film to win that was distributed by a streaming service (Apple TV). It is also the first movie to win without also being nominated for directing and editing since 1932 for Grand Hotel. This was a surprising moment that made the end of the show more joyous, to celebrate the win for a film that is made to uplift the deaf community.

What was your favorite moment from this year’s Academy Awards?

Lainey is a senior at Kent State University studying Fashion Design with a minor in Costume Design & Technology. She is so excited to be the Editor-in-Chief for Her Campus Kent State this year and to start her career in costume design for film and television. Read on for the latest on film, fashion, music and much more!