Top 10 Moments From The 88th Oscars

Another awards season came to a close on Sunday night when the annual Academy Awards were held in Hollywood from the Dolby Theatre. With many of the categories and ultimate winners anyone’s guess up until the end, there were many highlights from the big night. From the red carpet to the performances, check out our look at the best moments from the 88th Oscars.

George Miller and Margaret Sixel.

1. Big winner of the 88^th Oscars was George Miller’s MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. The film received the most wins with six, including Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing. Oh What A Lovely Day!

Mark Rylance poses backstage with the Oscar®

2. The shock of the night was Sylvester Stallone’s Oscar loss for CREED. While all the precursor awards pointed to a win for the ROCKY actor, voters ultimately went with the superb performance of Mark Rylance in BRIDGE OF SPIES and the Best Supporting Actor winner gave the classiest on-stage speech of the night.

3. Lady Gaga’s emotional and rousing performance of her song “Til It Happens To You” from THE HUNTING GROUND. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and her performance received a standing ovation.

4. Yay for Women Filmmakers and their strong showing at the 88^th Oscars! The Best Visual Effects Academy Award went to Sara Bennett for EX MACHINA (first woman to win in 23 years), Margaret Sixel won Best Editing for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, Jenny Beavan won Best Costume Design for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy won Best Documentary Short for A GIRL IN THE RIVER: THE PRICE OF FORGIVENESS, Lesley Vanderwalt and Elka Wardega won Best Hair And Makeup for their work on MAD MAX: FURY ROAD as well as Lisa Thompson for her Set Decoration design on the film in the Best Production Design category. One of the co-directors of the Best Live action short STUTTERER is Serena Armitage.

Backstage at the Oscars, Sixel commented on Women Filmmakers saying, “I think there is some prejudice that women can’t cut action, but I’m hoping that will change with the STAR WARS girls and me. I just ‑‑ I think it will change. I think it’s already changing, don’t you? That’s my personal feeling. And you just watch. In the next ten years, I think the balance will come back in our favor, hopefully.”

Sara Bennett (EX MACHINA Oscar winner) remarked,  “I’m lucky enough I was a co‑founder of the company in London called Milk Visual Effects. So as a manager it makes it easy for me I guess because ‑‑ no, it’s not easy. Let’s say two people come knocking, a man and woman come for the same job, they had about the same talent, I’d pick the female and get more women in basically, just so it will make the ratio more even. But I’ve been doing it for 17 years. There’s a lot of women, a lot of brilliant women doing what I do in our industry. It just so happens you get picked, if you’re nominated for an Oscar or a BAFTA, but there’s a lot of women doing it already. So we just need more, I guess”

5. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki garnered a third consecutive Academy Award, while composer Ennio Morricone won his first Oscar for his THE HATEFUL EIGHT score.

6. After six nominations, Leonardo DiCaprio at long last was awarded the Oscar for Best Picture. Both the audience in the theater and press backstage erupted into applause when his name was announced. Plus we couldn’t help but gush a little over the TITANIC reunion between DiCaprio and Kate Winslet

7. The shimmering stage looked every bit majestic and Golden inside the Dolby Theatre and the dramatic panels were a great touch.

8. Innovative way to introduce some of the categories as the Oscar presenters explained each one with moving set pieces.

9. Winner’s thank-yous crawled at the bottom of the screen during acceptance speeches. A first, but a time-saver.

10. Chris Rock as host. The ratings were down, the lowest in 8 years. Could have been the selection of movies, but his opening and humorous monologue was timely. The parodies were hilarious! Viewers were mixed on Rock’s hosting duties – did he nail it or was he way off with his digs at Hollywood?

Contributed by Michelle McCue and Melissa Thompson