For a show that was riddled with controversy in the lead up, it turned out to be a very entertaining evening. Magical musical performances, record breaking wins & surprise winners were the stories of the night. Here are some of my top moments in no particular order.

No Host, No Problem!

When it was decided to not have a host this year after Kevin Hart dropped out, I was a little wary about how the show would work. However, as it turned out, not having a host was the best decision that they could have made. The show was not confined to the standard host skits & monologue so the show felt fresh and kept a pretty even flow throughout. There was more time for speeches & the presenters seemed more relaxed and funny. Speaking of presenters, Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, & Amy Poehler made a great case for them to host next year with lots of funny one liners and bits about what they would have said and done if they were indeed hosting. Other presenters that took the ball and ran with it were Keegan Michael Key descending from the ceiling Mary Poppins style, complete with umbrella and Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry presenting Best Costume Design decked out in over the top queen outfits from The Favourite & Mary Queen of Scots, Black Panther & Mary Poppins.

 

Music Showcase

All of the nominees for Best Song had a chance to show their stuff, except Black Panther’s All the Stars due to Kendrick Lamar declining to perform. Don’t feel too bad for Black Panther as they did end up winning for Best Score. There was something for everyone in these performances. Queen with Adam Lambert provided a rocking opener with a medley of “We Will Rock You/We are the Champions” that got everyone clapping and stomping their feet. Jennifer Hudson gave a powerful ballad performance of “I’ll Fight” from RBG. The one and only Bette Midler put a Broadway twist on Mary Poppins Returns “The Place Where Lost Things Go” and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings took us to the old west with the country song “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. However as nice as all those performances were, you could tell everyone on the internet was most anticipating Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper’s rendition of “Shallow” from A Star is Born. They more than delivered but I’ll save my thoughts on that for the next segment…

Academy Award Winner Lady Gaga

The number of awards that Lady Gaga has to her name is endless, but last night she added Academy Award Winner to the very top of that list. She didn’t take home the statuette for Best Actress but still received the Oscar for Best Song alongside her writing team of Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt. She gave a very heartfelt and genuine speech about working hard, never giving up and fighting for your dreams.

Her intimate performance with Bradley Cooper was the most talked about moment of the night. It was shot just like a scene out of the movie. With the camera onstage, focused on them. They might as well have been the only two people in the room. They sang to each other, never taking their eyes off one another. When Bradley stood up from his stool and walked around to sit with Gaga at the piano, all of the internet erupted with glee. They ended the performance sharing a microphone, their heads resting on each other. The chemistry of these two is off the charts and was one of the main reasons the film was so successful. You believe them. I can’t wait to see what acting role Gaga takes on next but this performance reminded me that she will always be a true artist  in every sense of the word.

Comic Book Movies Have Arrived

These blockbusters have long been the best at the box office but have never gotten the recognition come award season. That has now been forever changed with wins from Black Panther & Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Black Panther took home 3 awards for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design & Best Score making history as the first Academy Awards ever for Marvel Studios. The first two aforementioned awards gained even more historical value as the winners, Ruth Carter & Hannah Beachler, became the first African American women to win in these categories. Spiderman beat out the Disney/Pixar juggernaut to take home the win for Sony Animation. All of these wins are a giant leap forward for comic book movies and just may have cracked the door open for more Marvel/DC wins in the future.

Glenn Got Close But Not Close Enough

In one of the biggest shockers of the night, Glenn Close lost Best Actress to Olivia Colman! Close had been raking in the awards all year but when it came to the big one, Colman won out. Colman won for her funny, disheveled, erratic portrayal of Queen Anne in The Favourite, the film’s only win of the night. She was truly shocked she won & gave one of the most hilarious & genuine speeches of the night, thanking her kids, husband & Lady Gaga! Colman has long been a staple in British television and it was nice to see her get recognition here. I’m sure Netflix is smiling from ear to ear since Colman is set to portray Queen Elizabeth in the next season of The Crown. 

So those were my top moments of the night! Overall, I had a great evening and enjoyed the majority of the show. Obviously there were other winners & moments from the night but those were my favorites. Let me know your favorite moments in the comments!