Stay tuned for live updates on the winners, upsets, and memorable moments of the show.
The Academy Awards ceremony tonight was filled with landmark achievements. With numerous categories having unpredictable outcomes, several winners achieved historic firsts when their names were announced, including the team behind Flow, the costume designer for Wicked, and Zoe Saldaña, the star of Emilia Pérez.
Here are all the Oscar victors who etched their names in history on Sunday night.
Flow is the first-ever Latvian film to secure an Oscar
Flow, a movie centered around felines, took home the award for Best Animated Feature, marking Latvia’s inaugural win at the Academy Awards. The visually impressive, wordless film also stands as the first independent production to win Best Animated Film at the Oscars. It also received a nomination for Best International Feature.
Paul Tazewell of Wicked becomes the first Black man to win in Costume Design
Paul Tazewell, previously nominated for his work on Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, won the Oscar for costume design. “I am the first Black male to be honored with the Oscar for design,” he stated in his acceptance speech. “I am immensely proud.” He then acknowledged his “Ozian muses, Cynthia and Ariana,” as the stars of Wicked, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, applauded him. Tazewell has had a distinguished career on Broadway, creating costumes for productions like The Color Purple and In the Heights.
Zoe Saldaña is the first American of Dominican descent to win an Oscar
Zoe Saldaña’s dominance this awards season culminated in a predictable win for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Emilia Pérez. In her acceptance speech, the actress spoke of her family’s experience as immigrants. “My grandmother arrived in this country in 1961,” she said. “I am the proud daughter of immigrant parents, full of dreams, dignity and hardworking hands, and I am the first American of Dominican descent to receive an Academy Award. And I know I won’t be the last.” She also joins the ranks of winners who have received an award for acting in a role performed in another language and from a movie nominated for Best International Feature.