Published on March 25, 2026
The 89th Academy Awards took place amid a backdrop of political controversy, highlighting social issues, and celebrating artistic excellence. This year’s event was marked of President Trump, a notable emphasis on recognizing Black artists, and an unforgettable blunder in announcing the Best Picture award.
In a significant turnaround from the previous year, six Oscars were awarded to Black actors—an absence that sparked criticism in the previous ceremony. The frontrunner with 14 nominations, “La La Land,” claimed six awards, including Best Director for the 31-year-old Damien Chazelle and Best Actress for Emma Stone. Additionally, it received awards for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song for “City of Stars,” which featured John Legend performing solo at the piano. The film, a traditional musical, had been favored for its homage to the genre.
However, the Best Picture Oscar was shaken by a significant error involving veterans Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway during the announcement. The coveted award ultimately went to “Moonlight,” an unconventional film that portrays the challenging life of a gay drug dealer. Mahershala Ali, who played the lead role, won the award for Best Supporting Actor, while Viola Davis received the Best Supporting Actress award for her powerful performance in “Fences,” delivering one of the emotional highlights of the evening with a heartfelt acceptance speech.
The intensely dramatic film “Manchester ” secured Oscars for Best Actor, awarded to Casey Affleck, and Best Original Screenplay, penned Lonergan. In contrast, Mel Gibson accepted two technical awards for “Hacksaw Ridge” for Best Film Editing and Best Sound, while Martin Scorsese walked away empty-handed with his masterpiece “Silence.” Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve fared better, winning the award for Best Sound Mixing for “Arrival.”
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who was absent in protest against the travel ban on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with “The Salesman.” This award marks Farhadi’s second Oscar win, having previously won for “A Separation” five years ago. The Best Documentary award went to “O.J.: Made in America,” an extensive seven-hour exploration of the life of O.J. Simpson, the former NFL star accused of murdering his wife.
Host Jimmy Kimmel took the opportunity to defend acclaimed actress Meryl Streep, who faced disparagement from Trump as “overrated.” Nominated for her performance in “Florence Foster Jenkins,” Streep was celebrated , though she ultimately did not secure her fourth Oscar. Natalie Portman also lost out on the award for Best Actress for her role in “Jackie,” the compelling biopic about Jacqueline Kennedy.
Reflecting on the evening, it appears that this year was far from stellar, with many critics asserting that the quality of films and professionalism in award ceremonies need improvement. Hollywood, the once revered bastion of filmmaking, must strive for higher standards in artistic and humanistic values.