[ot-caption title=”The famous Oscar Awards have been an integral part of the entertainment business for decades; actors, producers, and directors alike yearn to receive their own statuette for their work in the industry. (via, Flickr)”]

The Academy Awards have a distinct atmosphere each year, whether it is caused by the people in attendance, the films nominated, or the performances given. This year, the awards show was unmistakably centered around the controversies that have affected the awards show one way or another, such as that surrounding the lack of black nominees this year.  Despite the controversies, however, the famous awards show always proves to be a special night full of surprises, this year being no exception.

This year’s host, the hilarious Chris Rock, hit the ground running by immediately addressing the lack of black nominees. According to Rock, in order to have black nominees, the Academy needs to create categories designed solely for black actors, similar to how there are acting categories for both men and women. Rock also brought attention to the nature of racism in Hollywood, which doesn’t always blatantly manifest itself. Ending on a somewhat positive note, Rock stated that there has been progress, with movies like Creed and Straight Outta Compton being huge successes in the past year, and Rock left the stage after introducing the presenters for the first award.

Sam Smith performed “Writing’s on the Wall,” which featured in the James Bond movie Spectre and was nominated for Best Original Song. Other performances of the night included The Weeknd singing “Earned It” from 50 Shades of Grey, and Lady Gaga singing “’Til It Happens to You,” introduced by none other than Vice President Joe Biden, who stressed the importance of preventing sexual harassment. During the song, the curtain was lifted and a group of sexual assault survivors came out and displayed their arms, on which words such as “survivor” were written in black marker. This incredible performance was not only touching to watch, but was intertwined with a transcendent message that was broadcast to millions of people through the Academy Awards about preventing sexual assault in our society.

The Oscars also included awards, of course. Some of the most notable presenters for these awards included Kerry Washington, Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, Kate Winslet, Pharrell Williams, Eddie Redmayne, and last but certainly not least, Morgan Freeman. Through the course of the night, Mad Max: Fury Road won an astounding number of six Oscars, including Best Production Design and Set Decoration and Best Film Editing. The Revenant won a number of Oscars as well, including Best Cinematography and Best Director, given to Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the first Mexican director to win two Oscars for Best Director consecutively. The most popular award that the movie won that night, however, was Best Actor in a Leading Role, given to its lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who has famously been deprived of an Oscar throughout his career since his first Oscar nomination in 1984. DiCaprio received the award with a standing ovation and perhaps the satisfaction of finally getting what he had been waiting for for so long. Other notable awards included Best Actress in a Leading Role given to Brie Larson for Room and Best Picture for Spotlight, a movie that carries a weighty message about the corruption in the Roman Catholic Church.

As can be seen by the nominees, the films, the humor and the slight drama and tension, the Oscars this year were certainly entertaining; one can only hope that the Academy Awards next year will be as unique and unforgettable as these. The awards show this year only emphasized the fact that art tends to imitate life; the people nominated took aspects of our modern society and turned them into films that appeal to our aesthetic sensibilities and make us more aware of the world around us.

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/prayitnophotography/4764440136