Oscars 2021: A night of firsts and breakthroughs for the winners

This year’s Academy Award nominees were historically among the event’s more diverse lineups: Seventy women earned nods across 23 categories and nine people of colour were nominated for their acting.

BREAKTHROUGHS: Even before the winners were announced, there were several notable breakthroughs — including best actor nominations for Riz Ahmed (pictured), the first Muslim man to be so recognised, and Steven Yeun, the first Asian-American actor to be included in the category.

MANY FIRSTS: And for only the second time in Oscars history, two Black women — Viola Davis and Andra Day — were in the running for best actress. And while a sweep of the acting categories by people of colour did not materialise, there were plenty of other firsts.

HONOURS FOR AGEING WINNERS: Anthony Hopkins (pictured), at 83, became the oldest actor to win the Best Actor Oscar. He won for his performance as a man suffering from dementia in “The Father”. With Ann Roth’s victory for the costume designs in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’, she became the oldest woman to ever win an Oscar. She is 89.

BIGGEST UPSET: Even though many were rooting for Carey Mulligan’s deliciously wicked turn to win best actress, it was taken home by Frances McDormand for ‘Nomadland’. “I have no words. My voice is in my sword. We know the sword is our work and I like work,” said McDormand. “Thank you for knowing that.”

DIRECTING BREAKTHROUGH: Chloe Zhao, the filmmaker behind ‘Nomadland’, is the first woman of colour to win — and to be nominated — for best director. She is just the second woman to win the category, following Kathryn Bigelow for ‘The Hurt Locker’.

A KOREAN FIRST: Yuh-Jung Youn is the first Korean actor to win an Oscar. It was the first nomination for the performer, whose turn as the wry grandmother in ‘Minari’ also earned her SAG and BAFTA awards this season. “Maybe,” she said in her speech, “it’s American hospitality for the Korean actor.” She later spoke backstage about her best supporting actress win saying: “I’ve had a long career built step by step. Nothing happened ‘bam’, like this, and this award is so very happy to get. In our field we’re comparing different movies, so I’m just lucky tonight. And maybe some American hospitality!”

AN ALL-BLACK TEAM BREAKTHROUGH: ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ made Oscar history with all-Black producing team to be nominated. But it was Daniel Kaluuya who finally took home the best supporting actor trophy. He beat out co-star LaKeith Stanfield who was also in the running. In his acceptance speech, Kaluuya paid tribute to fellow Black Panthers Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. “They showed me how to love myself,” he said. “With that love, they overflowed into the Black community and into other communities. They showed us the power of unity. It’s important to see the truth. To see these groups of people — The Black Panther Party, how on a mission to empower their own, to love their own, to liberate their own — and their deeds being manipulated into terrorist acts.”

ANOTHER WIN FOR THE ALL-BLACK TEAM: H.E.R. won best original song for ‘Fight for You’, which was featured in the Oscar-nominated film ‘Judas and Black Messiah’ and performed earlier in the night. Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas also took home a statue for their work on the song. “I’m so grateful to be a part of such an important story. Musicians, filmmakers we have an opportunity, a responsibility to tell the truth and write history the way it was and how it connects us to today. Music is power, knowledge is power and as long as I am standing here I will continue to fight for our people,” said H.E.R.

SETTING THE SCORE: Artists Trent Reznor, Jon Batiste and Atticus Ross took home the Oscar for Best Score for their work in the Pixar original film ‘Soul’, which also won best animated feature. “This moment is a culmination of a series of miracles,” said Batiste as he accepted the award. “It is so incredibly powerful to be standing here from the lineage that we come from and the lineage of this film.”

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING BREAKTHROUGH: Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson, who worked on ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’, are the first Black women to win this award (and to be nominated for it). “I know that one day it won’t be unusual or groundbreaking,” Neal said in her acceptance speech. “It will just be normal.”

ONE FOR HUMANITY: Filmmaker Tyler Perry took home the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award during the Oscars for his “generosity toward those often overlooked and his steadfast commitment to social justice.” Perry was presented his award by Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis. “It is my hope that all of us would teach our kids, not only to remember, but to refuse hate,” said Perry. “I would hope that we would refuse hate. And I would take this Jean Hersholt award and dedicate this award to anyone who would stand in the middle, because that is where healing happens.”

A LOSING STREAK: Glenn Close, nominated for supporting actress for ‘Hillbilly Elegy’, hit a less exciting milestone. After eight fruitless nods, she has tied the record held by Peter O’Toole for most acting nominations without a win. However, Close also gave the most memorable moment of the night while trying to guess whether an audio track was nominated, won or never honoured at the Academy Awards. She drew the laughs of many when she recognised the song ‘Da Butt’ from the 1988 Spike Lee film ‘School Daze’ and twerked her way into history.tress for ‘Hillbilly Elegy’, hit a less exciting milestone: After eight fruitless nods, she has tied the record held by Peter O’Toole for most acting nominations without a win. However, Close also gave the most memorable moment of the night while trying to guess whether an audio track was nominated, won or never honored at the Academy Awards. She drew the laughs of many when she recognised the song ‘Da Butt’ from the 1988 Spike Lee film ‘School Daze’ and twerked her way into history.