The 88th Annual Academy Awards Winners

Team Spotlight

Another year, another Oscars came and gone. The only difference being that I didn't watch them and only partially followed them on Twitter.

A night full of shocks as much as this entire awards season, the most unpredictable and weirdest in memory. SPOTLIGHT became the first film in decades to win best picture and only 1 other award, best original screenplay. The largely predicted THE REVENANT took cinematography (3rd in a row for Chivo), lead actor for Leonardo DiCaprio (who finally won the damn trophy) and Alejandro González Iñárritu became the third back to back director winner ever. Spotlight's two and The Revenant's three awards wins were only upped by MAD MAX: FURY ROAD which won 6 Oscars, the first film since the 70's to win that many without winning either picture or director. It was a great night for Miller's masterpiece to a point that it seemed that the sweeping momentum was probably going to be carried all the way till the end. So proud nonetheless.

Stats were shattered, preferential ballot favored the least divisive film, actors had already shown their love for the winner. Of the craziest wins though... Ex Machina was awarded visual effects over best picture nominees which rarely happens and also the predicted winner Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It is also the most left field and inspiring winner in a while. Sylvester Stallone widely favored for supporting actor lost to Mark Rylance. The mediocre song, awful Bond theme won best original song. The most hated winner of the night. My fellow Pakistani, the talented and brave Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy won her career 2nd Oscar for directing yet another important, timely short doc. Ennio Morricone finally won an Oscar, the oldest winner ever. One of the greatest films ever didn't win best animated short. The rest pretty much expected. Category fraud favored, Brooklyn didn't win anything, neither The Martian or Carol. It was a strange night, not all that bad. Could have been a lot worse. Can't review the ceremony itself, the jokes or monologues or speeches. But yes, another film year ends. Till the next one... (the film year, not the Oscars):

Best Picture:
Spotlight


Best Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu (The Revenant)

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Brie Larson (Room)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)

Best Writing – Original Screenplay:
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Spotlight)

Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay:
Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (The Big Short)

Best Foreign Language Film:
Son of Saul – Hungary

Best Animated Feature Film:
Inside Out

Best Documentary Feature:
Amy

Best Film Editing:
Margaret Sixel (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki (The Revenant)

Best Production Design:
Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Costume Design:
Jenny Beavan (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
Damian Martin, Lesley Vanderwalt and Elka Wardega (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Visual Effects:
Mark Ardington, Sara Bennett, Paul Norris and Andrew Whitehurst (Ex Machina)

Best Music (Original Score):
Ennio Morricone (The Hateful Eight)

Best Music (Original Song):
Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith – "Writing’s on the Wall" (Spectre)

Best Sound Mixing:
Chris Jenkins, Ben Osmo and Gregg Rudloff (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Sound Editing:
Mark A. Mangini and David White (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Short Film (Live Action):
Stutterer

Best Short Film (Animated):
Bear Story

Best Documentary Short:
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness