Hollywood’s biggest night

Recognising the best in film, the 86th Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars were held on Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Though Gravity won most trophies, it was a barrier breaking triumph for 12 Years a Slave, which won the Best Picture, the first time Hollywood conferred its top honour to the work of a black director. Kenya’s Lupita Nyong’o also picked the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Patsey, in the movie.

Historical drama 12 Years a Slave won best picture at the 86th Academy Awards, while space drama Gravity won the lion’s share of awards.
Gravity’s Alfonso Cuaron became the first Latino to win the best director award, adding to the film’s six Oscars for technical achievement.
It is the second consecutive year the best director and best picture prize has been awarded to different films.

Cuaron praised the “transformative” power of film and singled out the film’s star Sandra Bullock as “the soul, the heart of Gravity”.
The film - which took five years to complete, and owes much to the technical prowess of British visual effects specialists - also won Oscars for film editing, sound mixing, sound editing, cinematography, visual effects and original score.

Steve McQueen, the British director of 12 Years a Slave, dedicated the best picture Oscar to “all those people who have endured slavery”.
“Everyone deserves not just to survive, but to live,” he said. “This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup.”

Based on a true story, it follows the life of a free black man - Northup - who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana.
Newcomer Lupita Nyong’o won the best supporting actress award for her film debut as slave worker Patsey.

The Kenyan actress paid tribute to her character and thanked her for her “guidance”: The film won a third Oscar for John Ridley’s adapted screenplay. “All the praise goes to Northup,” Ridley said, “these are his words”.
Spike Jonze collected the best original screenplay for Her. Jonze’s first film as sole writer and director stars Joaquin Phoenix as a man who falls in love with a computer operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.

As predicted, Matthew McConaughey took the best actor prize for his role as real-life rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof, who smuggled HIV drugs into the US.

The 44-year-old actor, formerly a rom-com regular whose roles centred on his good looks, lost 50lbs (23kg) to play Woodroof in the low budget indie drama.

During his speech, he thanked God “because that’s who I look up to”.
“He’s graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human hand,” he added.

Best actress winner Cate Blanchett paid tribute to her rivals, including Dame Judi Dench – who was not at the ceremony – acknowledging “the random and subjective” nature of awards ceremonies.

McConaughey’s co-star Jared Leto won the first Oscar of the night, picking up best supporting actor for his role as transgender woman who becomes Woodruff’s business partner and unlikely friend.

Frozen, which recently tipped $1bn (about Shs2.5trillion) at the global box office, scored two Oscars.

The 3D film about an icy princess and her sister was named best animated feature film, with its song, Let It Go - performed by star Idina Menzel - winning best original song. It is loosely based on The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.

The Great Gatsby also picked up two Oscars, for costume design and production design.

But there were no awards for David O Russell’s American Hustle, which had 10 nominations, including nods in all the acting categories. Nor were there any awards for Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street.

The winners
Best Picture: 12 Years A Slave
Best Actor in a leading role:
Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress in a leading role: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Best Supporting Actor:
Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club
Best Supporting Actress:
Lupita Nyong’o - 12 Years A Slave
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity
Best Costume Design: The Great Gatsby
Best Make-Up & Hairstyling: Dallas Buyers Club
Best Short Film (Animated): Mr Hublot
Best Animated Feature Film: Frozen
Best Short Film (Live Action): Helium
Best Documentary Short Subject: The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life
Best Documentary Feature:
20 Feet From Stardom
Best Foreign Language Film: The Great Beauty (Italy)
Best Sound Mixing:
Gravity
Best Sound Editing:
Gravity
Best visual effects:
Gravity
Best Cinematography:
Gravity
Best Film Editing: Gravity
Best Production Design:
The Great Gatsby
Best Original Score: Gravity
Best Original Song: Let It Go - Frozen
Best Adapted Screenplay:
John Ridley - 12 Years A Slave
Best Original Screenplay:
Spike Jonze - Her

Lupita’s speech

“Yes! Thank you to the Academy for this incredible recognition. It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s.

And so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance. And for Solomon, thank you for telling her story and your own. Steve McQueen, you charge everything you fashion with a breath of your own spirit. Thank you so much for putting me in this position. This has been the joy of my life. I’m certain that the dead are standing about you and watching and they are grateful and so am I.

Chiwetel, thank you for your fearlessness and how deeply you went into telling Solomon’s story. Michael Fassbender, thank you so much. You were my rock. Alfre and Sarah, it was a thrill to work with you. Joe Walker, the invisible performer in the editing room, thank you. Sean Bobbitt, Kalaadevi, Adruitha, Patty Norris, thank you, thank you, thank you, I could not be here without your work.

I want to thank my family for your training and the Yale School of Drama as well for your training. My friends, the Wilsons, this one’s for you. My brother, Junior, sitting by my side. Thank you so much. You are my best friend. And Ben, my other best friend, my chosen family.

When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from your dreams are valid.
Thank you.”