Oscars 2021 – live: Winners, acceptance speeches and highlights from the Academy Awards
Chloé Zhao wins Best Director while Frances McDormand earns Best Actress prize
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Road movie Nomadland won the top prize at the 93rd Academy Awards, which fulfilled many expectations but threw in a couple of surprise wins in an unusual ceremony.
The film’s director Chloe Zhao also made history, becoming the first woman of colour to win the award for directing, and the second woman in history — and the film scooped the Best Actress prize for its star Frances McDormand.
Sir Anthony Hopkins won the Best Actor Oscar — his first since The Silence of the Lambs in 1992 — for his performance in The Father, about a man slipping into dementia, defeating presumptive favourite Chadwick Boseman, who died last year aged 43 following a private four-year battle with colon cancer.
Daniel Kaluuya, who was born in London to Ugandan parents, is the first black British winner of the best Supporting Actor prize for his turn as community organiser and member of the Black Panther Party Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.
There were a number of surprise wins. David Fincher’s Mank led the pack with 10 nominations, but ultimately won two.
Due to coronavirus, the Oscars moved out of their usual venue, the Dolby Theatre, and were based out of Los Angeles’s Union Station instead. The ceremony’s format was overhauled too, with attendees observing social distancing and some joining via video link from other parts of the world.
Nomadland had been a favourite to win Best Picture; it fulfilled that expectation, beating The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Minari actor Youn Yuh-jung also won over the crowd in her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress, which was presented to her by Brad Pitt. “Mr Brad Pitt, finally, nice to meet you!” she told him after making her way onto the stage. She then proceeded to acknowledge the ways in which her name has been mispronounced throughout the awards season, telling the crowd: “Tonight, you are all forgiven.”
With her win, Youn became the first Korean actor to take home an Academy Award.
Follow our liveblog for highlights from the ceremony and the buzz-worthy aftermath.
There’s no doubt that the evening’s big winner is Nomadland.
In an impressive trifecta of victories, the drama took home Best Picture, with Chloé Zhao becoming the first woman of colour to ever win Best Director. The film’s lead Frances McDormand also bagged Best Actress.
Adam White explains why the Academy made the right choice – for once.
After the dust has settled, why not kick back and watch this year’s Oscar nominees from the comfort of your own living room.
Between tense dramas, black comedy thrillers and brilliant biopics, there’s plenty to choose from.
Denmark is raising a glass to its Oscar winners, Thomas Vinterberg and Mikkel Nielsen.
Vinterberg took home the prize for Best International Picture for his Mads Mikkelson-led dramedy Another Round.
Meanwhile, Nielsen was feted with the award for Best Sound Editing on Darius Marder’s bruising drama Sound of Metal, about a noise-punk drummer who suddenly loses his hearing.
The Oscars are known for creating meme-worthy moments and there’s no doubt you’ll soon see endless GIFs of Glenn Close twerking on your social media feeds.
Shortly after losing out on Best Supporting Actress, Close participated in a game that eventually saw her twerking to “Da Butt” by funk group Experience Limited.
Glenn Close stuns Oscars viewers by twerking to ‘Da Butt’
‘Get that woman her Oscar,’ one shocked viewer wrote
“Glenn Close shaking her wagon on national TV.......... GET THAT WOMAN HER OSCAR,” one viewer wrote.
Despite being the frontrunner with 10 nominations, David Fincher’s Mank only took home two trophies in the end.
Netflix’s biopic about screenwriter Herman J Mankiewicz as he rushes to finish Citizen Kane won Best Cinematography and Best Production Design, but lost out to Nomadland in a crowded Best Picture race.
For fashion fans, the Oscars going ahead with real-life attendees meant one exciting thing: a proper red carpet.
From Carey Mulligan’s show-stopping gown to Riz Ahmed’s navy blue Prada suit, the Brits were dressed to impress this year.
The best dressed stars at the Oscars
Celebrities donned their glad rags for the annual celebration of cinema
There’s still no official word on why the ceremony ended on the Best Actor award, when it’s typically Best Picture that closes the evening.
It was a baffling decision, and one that rendered the end something of a damp squib when winner Anthony Hopkins wasn’t in attendance to accept his award.
Viewers confused as Oscars ends with Anthony Hopkins no-show instead of Best Picture
The Father star unexpectedly pipped the late Chadwick Boseman to the post
Some have speculated that bosses moved Best Actor to the finale as they had predicted the late Chadwick Boseman would win the prize for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom...
If you’re just joining us now and want to get right to it – here’s every winner from last night’s ceremony.
Hammersmith-born writer-director Emerald Fennell picked up the Best Original Screenplay trophy for her black comedy Promising Young Woman – but you may recognise Fennell from elsewhere.
Fans of The Crown will remember her as Camilla Parker-Bowles in Netflix’s hit period drama.
Yuh-Jung Youn took her acceptance speech as an opportunity to forgive the crowd for mispronouncing her name.
The 73-year-old South Korean actor, who won Best Supporting Actress for Minari, was given the trophy by Brad Pitt.
She quipped: “As you know I’m from Korea and actually my name is Yuh-Jung Youn. Most of Europe call me Yuh Youn and some of them call me Yuh-Jung.
“But tonight, you are all forgiven.”
Yuh-Jung Youn calls out Hollywood for mispronouncing her name while accepting Oscar
Brad Pitt had said it incorrectly moments earlier
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments