The 96th Academy Awards took place on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The ceremony was broadcast live on ABC and reached viewers in more than 200 territories worldwide. The Oscars celebrated filmmaking across acting, directing, writing, technical crafts and music, recognizing both mainstream box-office successes and acclaimed independent work.
Jimmy Kimmel returned as host, guiding a star-studded evening with presenters from across the industry. Presenters included Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh, Zendaya, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer, Ramy Youssef, John Cena and many others.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer dominated the night, taking home seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan, Best Lead Actor for Cillian Murphy and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr. It also won in major technical categories: Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing and Best Original Score. Other high-profile films such as Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon received multiple nominations but walked away with few or no wins.
In the music categories, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell won Best Original Song for “What Was I Made For” from Barbie, a high-profile victory over veteran songwriter Diane Warren, who was nominated for “The Fire Inside.” The song win underscored the crossover influence of contemporary pop artists on awards-season music recognition.
The broadcast was notable for moving briskly; a late “tie-to-kill” gag and tight pacing helped the telecast finish slightly earlier than expected. An Oscars show running roughly three and a half hours is uncommon and reflected an effort to balance performances, tributes and award presentations while staying engaging for a global audience.
2024 Oscars Winners List
Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer – WINNER
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction
Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening – Nyad
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Emma Stone – Poor Things – WINNER
Actor in a Supporting Role
Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer – WINNER
Ryan Gosling – Barbie
Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things
Actress in a Supporting Role
Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
America Ferrera – Barbie
Jodie Foster – Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers – WINNER
Directing
Justine Triet – Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer – WINNER
Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
American Fiction – Cord Jefferson – WINNER
Barbie – Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach
Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan
Poor Things – Tony McNamara
The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet and Arthur Harari – WINNER
The Holdovers – David Hemingson
Maestro – Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer
May December – Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik
Past Lives – Celine Song
Animated Feature Film
The Boy and the Heron – WINNER
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Documentary (Feature)
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol – WINNER
Documentary (Short Subject)
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island In Between
The Last Repair Shop – WINNER
N?i Nai and Wài Pó
International Feature Film
Io Capitano – Italy
Perfect Days – Japan
Society of the Snow – Spain
The Teachers’ Lounge – Germany
The Zone of Interest – UK – WINNER
Film Editing
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Poor Things
Cinematography
El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Poor Things
Sound
The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest – WINNER
Music (Original Score)
American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Poor Things
Music (Original Song)
“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie; Music and Lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony; Music and Lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson
“Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon; Music and Lyric by Scott George
“What Was I Made For” from Barbie; Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell – WINNER
Costume Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER
Makeup and Hairstyling
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER
Society of the Snow
Production Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER
Visual Effects
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One – WINNER
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Short Film (Animated)
Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
THE WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko – WINNER
Short Film (Live Action)
The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – WINNER
Overall, the 2024 Oscars highlighted a strong showing for Oppenheimer across major categories and technical achievements, while other standout films earned recognition in acting, writing and design categories. The ceremony balanced awards presentation with performances and tributes, offering a snapshot of the year’s most celebrated cinematic accomplishments.