The 94th Academy Awards were delightful to watch. As one of the host/comedians commented, hardly anyone in the audience wore a mask. This is truly a sign of the times. While Covid-19 continues to be a difficult public health crisis to handle, having large gatherings in a safe environment shows how far the American public has gone during the pandemic.
While every year the top films are nominated for awards, it is especially important to pinpoint for this year’s show that there were a lot of tremendous films receiving the spotlight. CODA, for example, is a story about a deaf fishing family and their relationship with their hearing daughter-it won the prize for best picture. It was a great moment for the film including both on-screen and off-screen talent, but also celebrates the arts and cultural contributions from creatives in the deaf community.
Will Smith and Jessica Chastain won the top acting prizes. Jane Campion won best director for The Power of the Dog.
The ceremony was broadcast live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. It was hosted by Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes.
2022 Oscar Nominees and Winners:
Best picture
“Belfast”
Winner: “CODA”
“Don’t Look Up”
“Drive My Car”
“Dune”
“King Richard”
“Licorice Pizza”
“Nightmare Alley”
“The Power of the Dog”
“West Side Story”
Best actress
Winner: Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”
Penélope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers”
Nicole Kidman, “Being the Ricardos”
Kristen Stewart, “Spencer”
Best actor
Javier Bardem, “Being the Ricardos”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”
Andrew Garfield, “tick, tick … BOOM!”
Winner: Will Smith, “King Richard”
Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
Best supporting actress
Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter”
Winner: Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”
Judi Dench, “Belfast”
Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”
Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard”
Best supporting actor
Ciarán Hinds, “Belfast”
Winner: Troy Kotsur, “CODA”
Jesse Plemons, “The Power of the Dog”
J.K. Simmons, “Being the Ricardos”
Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”
Best director
Kenneth Branagh, “Belfast”
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Licorice Pizza”
Winner: Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”
Steven Spielberg, “West Side Story”
Adapted screenplay
Winner: “CODA,” Siân Heder
“Drive My Car,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe
“Dune,” Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth
“The Lost Daughter,” Maggie Gyllenhaal
“The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion
Original screenplay
Winner: “Belfast,” Kenneth Branagh
“Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay and David Sirota
“King Richard,” Zach Baylin
“Licorice Pizza,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Worst Person in the World,” Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
International film
Winner: “Drive My Car” (Japan)
“Flee” (Denmark)
“The Hand of God” (Italy)
“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan)
“The Worst Person in the World” (Norway)
Visual effects
Winner: “Dune”
“Free Guy”
“No Time to Die”
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”
“Spider-Man: No Way Home”
Cinematography
Winner: “Dune”
“Nightmare Alley”
“The Power of the Dog”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth”
“West Side Story”
Original score
“Don’t Look Up,” Nicholas Britell
Winner: “Dune,” Hans Zimmer
“Encanto,” Germaine Franco
“Parallel Mothers,” Alberto Iglesias
“The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood
Original song
“Be Alive” (from “King Richard”)
“Dos Oruguitas” (from “Encanto”)
“Down To Joy” (from “Belfast”)
Winner: “No Time To Die” (from “No Time to Die”)
“Somehow You Do” (from “Four Good Days”)
Film editing
“Don’t Look Up”
Winner: “Dune”
“King Richard”
“The Power of the Dog”
“tick, tick … BOOM!”
Costume design
Winner: “Cruella”
“Cyrano”
“Dune”
“Nightmare Alley”
“West Side Story”
Makeup and hairstyling
“Coming 2 America”
“Cruella”
“Dune”
Winner: “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
“House of Gucci”
Production design
Winner: “Dune”
“Nightmare Alley”
“The Power of the Dog”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth”
“West Side Story”
Sound
“Belfast”
Winner: “Dune”
“No Time to Die”
“The Power of the Dog”
“West Side Story”
Documentary feature film
“Ascension”
“Attica”
“Flee”
Winner: “Summer of Soul (… Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”
“Writing With Fire”
Documentary short subject
“Audible”
“Lead Me Home”
Winner: “The Queen of Basketball”
“Three Songs for Benazir”
“When We Were Bullies”
Animated feature film
\Winner: “Encanto”
“Flee”
“Luca”
“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”
“Raya and the Last Dragon”
Animated short film
“Affairs of the Art”
“Bestia”
“Boxballet”
“Robin Robin”
Winner: “The Windshield Wiper”
Live action short film
“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run”
“The Dress”
Winner: “The Long Goodbye”
“On My Mind”
“Please Hold”