If the Oscars this year was accused of being very white (and very male), organisers this year made sure there was plenty of representation, from the presenters to the performers. Steve Martin and Chris Rock opened the host-less ceremony, following a performance by Janelle Monae, and didn't hold back with their jibes at the Academy. Martin joked they had a "great time not hosting tonight". Yes, Cynthia Erivo is here tonight. "Cynthia did such a great job in 'Harriet' hiding black people that the Academy got her to hide all the black nominees," Rock joked.
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But before the awards actually begun, there were a few fun, and poignant moments on the red carpet. Spike Lee paid homage to the late great Kobe Bryant by wearing the number 24 on his jacket. He also wore a pair of Bryant's Nike sneakers.
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Timothee Chalamet who was seen in a Prada ensemble that is somewhere between a suit-suit and a tracksuit, had a bit of fun, photo-bombing Margot Robbie. Chalamet was nominated as a cast member of 'Little Women' while Robbie was nominated for 'Bombshell'.
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Natalie Portman walked the red carpet in a cape lined with the names of female filmmakers who weren't nominated for best director. The black cape featured gold lettering that included Lulu Wang ('The Farewell'), Greta Gerwig ('Little Women') and Mati Diop ('Atlantics'). This year's nominees for best director were all male.
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Janelle Monae kicked off the Academy Awards - with help from Billy Porter - with a musical tribute to this year's nominees. Monae started off the show donning a red sweater like Mister Rogers wore in a nod to 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'. She walked into the audience and serenaded the film's star, Tom Hanks, and other nominees. She then shifted into an upbeat number with several dancers wearing attire honouring other nominees. Monae shed the sweater as she sang and danced.
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Joaquin Phoenix's acceptance speech for Best Actor ('Joker') was one of the highlights of the night. "I've been a scoundrel in my life. I've been selfish. I've been cruel at times, hard to work with, and I'm grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance,'' he said. "And I think that's when we're at our best, when, when we support each other. Not when we cancel each other out for past mistakes, but when we help each other grow, when we educate each other, when we guide each other towards redemption. That is the best of humanity."
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One of the big surprises of the night was a performance by Eminem nearly twenty years after he was nominated for '8 Mile' and skipped the event. Slim Shady finally arrived on the Oscars stage and performed 'Lose Yourself', a best original song winner in 2003 from the soundtrack to '8 Mile'. His performance rocked the Dolby Theatre. Zazie Beetz was among the many who rapped along, and Billie Eilish watched with her jaw dropped.
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After being nominated four times, Brad Pitt finally has his acting Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a stuntman in 'Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood'. Pitt had been expected to win the category after scooping up a series of honours this year, including at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Pitt's treated the previous wins with jokes and breezy speeches. He was more sombre at the Oscars, calling his win "incredible" as his peers cheered. "Once Upon a time in Hollywood, ain't that the truth," Pitt said, thanking his children, Tarantino and DiCaprio.
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'Cats' clawed its way onto the Oscars stage when James Corden and Rebel Wilson - two stars from the maligned film adaptation of the Broadway hit - dressed in head-to-toe cat costumes came to present the Academy Award for special effects. "Nobody knows, better than us, the importance of good visual effects," they joked.
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Hildur Gupnadottir won the best original score Academy Award for 'Joker', becoming the first woman to win in the category since 1998. Anne Dudley was the last female composer to win the honour for 'The Full Monty'. Gupnadottir was overwhelmed with emotion, appearing to tear up as she held the award. She urged women to speak up, ending her speech by saying, "We need to hear your voices".
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Cynthia Erivo, who was the only person of colour nominated for acting honours this year, didn't win. But she delivered a poweful rendition of the song 'Stand Up' from her film 'Harriet'. Later, the standing ovation for her performance extended long after the cameras had moved and the house lights had gone up.
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Rising American actor Utkarsh Ambudkar, who performed a rhythmic recap of the show two thirds of the way through the broadcast. Taking a dig at the lack of diversity among the nominees, he rapped: "Keep an open mind. I'm sure you'll find that there's plenty of light here for us all to shine."
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Billie Eilish, who won five Grammys two weeks ago, also hit the stage to perform during the In Memoriam segment with her producer-brother Finneas. Eilish performed a slowed down version of the Beatles' iconic song 'Yesterday'.
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But of course, the night truly belonged to South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, who made history with his film 'Parasite'. It's the first non-English film to ever win the Best Picture award and the first South Korean film to ever win an Oscar. The film, about inequality, also won Best International Feature, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Multiple standing ovations greeted Bong's several wins. "I am ready to drink tonight,'' Bong said, prompting roars from the crowd. Unexpectedly called up again for Best Director, Bong saluted his fellow nominees, particularly Martin Scorsese, and concluded: "Now I'm ready to drink until tomorrow."
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