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96th Academy Awards
The 96th Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The ceremony honored films released in 2023, with the AMPAS presenting 96th Academy Awards (commonly known as Oscars) in 23 categories. The event was televised in the United States by ABC and produced by Raj Kapoor, Molly McNearney, and Katy Mullan, with Hamish Hamilton serving as director. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosted the show for the fourth time, having previously hosted in 2017, 2018, and 2023.
In related events, the Academy held its 14th annual Governors Awards ceremony, hosted by John Mulaney, on January 9, 2024, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood. The Academy Scientific and Technical Awards were presented by host Natasha Lyonne on February 23, 2024, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, with an American Sign Language livestream broadcast on the Academy’s YouTube page featuring video of interpreters.
The nominations, announced on January 23, 2024, saw “Oppenheimer” leading with 13 nominations, followed by “Poor Things” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” with 11 and 10 nominations, respectively. “Oppenheimer” went on to win seven awards, including Best Picture, while other major winners included “Poor Things” with four awards and “The Zone of Interest” with two. Several notable nominees and winners included Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and John Williams, among others.
96th Academy Awards
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | |
| Country | United States |
| Date | March 10, 2024 |
| Hosted | Jimmy Kimmel |
| Directed | Hamish Hamilton |
| Best Picture | Oppenheimer |
| Most Awards | Oppenheimer (7) |
| Most Nominations | Oppenheimer (13) |
| Network | ABC / ABC.com / ABC app |
| Duration | 3 hours, 23 minutes |
| Site | Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Preshow Hosts | Amelia Dimoldenberg, Vanessa Hudgens, Julianne Hough |
| Produced | Raj Kapoor, Molly McNearney, Katy Mullan |
Ceremony information
On October 17, 2023, Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan were appointed as executive producers, with Hamish Hamilton taking on the role of director. Mullan, who is an executive at Hamilton’s production company Done and Dusted, joined the team. Jimmy Kimmel was announced as the host on November 15, marking his second consecutive year and fourth time hosting the 96th Academy Awards. On the same day, Molly McNearney, Kimmel’s wife, was confirmed to return as executive producer for the ceremony.
A change in the ceremony’s start time was announced on November 30, 2023. ABC and the Academy revealed that the event would begin an hour earlier at 4:00 p.m. PT (7:00 p.m. ET). This adjustment allowed for half an hour of primetime programming before the telecast, which would feature a new episode of Abbott Elementary. Vanessa Hudgens, who had hosted the pre-show for the past three years, was joined by Julianne Hough as the new co-host. Due to the scheduling change, the pre-show was shortened to 30 minutes. The start of the ceremony experienced a six-minute delay due to protests related to the Israel-Hamas war outside the theater.
On January 29, 2024, comedian and broadcaster Amelia Dimoldenberg, known for her YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, was announced as the social media ambassador and red carpet correspondent. Dimoldenberg actively participated in various Oscar season events, including the Oscars Nominees luncheon, where she collaborated on an Academy video production with the nominees. She also took part in an “Oscars 96 Behind the Scenes Tour” and conducted interviews with nominees and other talented individuals present on the Oscars red carpet.
The announcement of presenters was made in several groups starting from February 26, 2024. The performers for the ceremony were revealed on February 28, 2024, although Variety had already reported Ryan Gosling’s performance of “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie two days prior. Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter discovered that the Academy would reintroduce a popular presenting format previously used during the 81st ceremony after the initial batch of presenters was announced.
Diversity Rules
In a significant shift, the Best Picture category at the Oscars saw the implementation of mandatory diversity rules for the first time. This move came as part of the Academy’s Aperture 2025 initiative, introduced in June 2020, aimed at fostering representation and inclusion within the film industry. Under these guidelines, films vying for the Best Picture nomination were required to meet specific “representation and inclusion standards” set forth by the Academy.
For the 94th, 95th Academy Awards and 96th Academy Awards , encompassing films released in 2021 and 2022, filmmakers were mandated to submit a confidential “Academy Inclusion Standards” form for data collection purposes only. These standards encompass four main criteria, with a film needing to fulfill at least two to be eligible for consideration: on-screen representation, creative leadership, industry access, and audience development.
As elucidated by Alissa Wilkinson of Vox in 2020, these standards essentially address two primary areas: promoting more inclusive representation and fostering more inclusive employment opportunities. The overarching goal is to enhance job prospects for underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with cognitive or physical disabilities within the film industry.
Box office Performance
When the nominations were revealed, the collective box office earnings of the films nominated for Best Picture amounted to $1.09 billion in the American and Canadian markets. Leading the pack was “Barbie,” boasting the highest domestic box office receipts of $636 million among the nominees. Following closely behind was “Oppenheimer,” with $327 million in earnings. Together, these two films, forming the Barbenheimer phenomenon, accounted for 88% of the total box office revenue accumulated by the Best Picture contenders before their nominations. “Oppenheimer” further secured its place in history by becoming the highest-grossing Best Picture winner since “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” at the 76th Academy Awards in 2004. Additionally, it marked the first film to surpass $100 million in domestic box office earnings in a decade since “Argo” at the 85th Academy Awards in 2013.
Critical Reviews
The ceremony garnered predominantly positive reviews from critics, with standout moments including musical performances of “I’m Just Ken” and “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” John Mulaney’s humorous summary of Field of Dreams while presenting the Best Sound award, and an unconventional presentation by John Cena, nearly nude, for Best Costume Design. Additionally, past acting winners introducing this year’s nominees were highlights for many attendees. However, the In Memoriam segment faced criticism for its distracting presentation, with names and faces often appearing too small and distant to be easily recognizable.
Jonathan Glazer, director of The Zone of Interest, received praise for his impassioned acceptance speech upon winning Best International Feature, where he called for an end to Israel’s attacks in Gaza. Nevertheless, his remarks drew criticism from some Israelis. Al Pacino, tasked with presenting the Best Picture award at the ceremony’s conclusion, faced backlash for failing to name all 10 nominees before announcing the winner. Instead, Pacino offered a brief statement, followed by an awkward revelation that Oppenheimer had won the top honor. Viewers also expressed concern for Pacino’s well-being due to his slow movements on and off the stage.
Awards List
Best Picture
| Category | Winners |
|---|---|
| Best Picture | Oppenheimer – Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Christopher Nolan, producers |
| American Fiction – Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson, and Jermaine Johnson, producers | |
| Anatomy of a Fall – Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, producers | |
| Barbie – David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner, producers | |
| The Holdovers – Mark Johnson, producer | |
| Killers of the Flower Moon – Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese, and Daniel Lupi, producers | |
| Maestro – Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning, and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers | |
| Past Lives – David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, and Pamela Koffler, producers | |
| Poor Things – Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Emma Stone, producers | |
| The Zone of Interest – James Wilson, producer | |
| Best Director | Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer |
| Justine Triet – Anatomy of a Fall | |
| Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon | |
| Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things | |
| Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest | |
| Best Actor | Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer as J. Robert Oppenheimer |
| Bradley Cooper – Maestro as Leonard Bernstein | |
| Colman Domingo – Rustin as Bayard Rustin | |
| Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers as Paul Hunham | |
| Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison | |
| Best Actress | Emma Stone – Poor Things as Bella Baxter |
| Annette Bening – Nyad as Diana Nyad | |
| Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon as Mollie Burkhart | |
| Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall as Sandra Voyter | |
| Carey Mulligan – Maestro as Felicia Montealegre | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer as Lewis Strauss |
| Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction as Clifford “Cliff” Ellison | |
| Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon as William King Hale | |
| Ryan Gosling – Barbie as Ken | |
| Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things as Duncan Wedderburn | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers as Mary Lamb |
| Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer as Kitty Oppenheimer | |
| Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple as Sofia | |
| America Ferrera – Barbie as Gloria | |
| Jodie Foster – Nyad as Bonnie Stoll | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet and Arthur Harari |
| The Holdovers – David Hemingson | |
| Maestro – Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer | |
| May December – Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik | |
| Past Lives – Celine Song | |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | American Fiction – Cord Jefferson; based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett |
| Barbie – Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach; based on characters created by Ruth Handler | |
| Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan; based on the biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin | |
| Poor Things – Tony McNamara; based on the novel by Alasdair Gray | |
| The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer; based on the novel by Martin Amis | |
| Best Animated Feature | The Boy and the Heron – Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki |
| Elemental – Peter Sohn and Denise Ream | |
| Nimona – Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan, and Julie Zackary | |
| Robot Dreams – Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, and Sandra Tapia Díaz | |
| Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal | |
| Best International Feature Film | The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) – directed by Jonathan Glazer |
| Io capitano (Italy) – directed by Matteo Garrone | |
| Perfect Days (Japan) – directed by Wim Wenders | |
| Society of the Snow (Spain) – directed by J. A. Bayona | |
| The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany) – directed by İlker Çatak | |
| Best Documentary Feature Film | 20 Days in Mariupol – Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath |
| Bobi Wine: The People’s President – Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp, and John Battsek | |
| The Eternal Memory – Maite Alberdi | |
| Four Daughters – Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha | |
| To Kill a Tiger – Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe, and David Oppenheim | |
| Best Documentary Short Film | The Last Repair Shop – Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers |
| The ABCs of Book Banning – Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic | |
| The Barber of Little Rock – John Hoffman and Christine Turner | |
| Island in Between – S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien | |
| Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó – Sean Wang and Sam Davis | |
| Best Live Action Short Film | The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – Wes Anderson and Steven Rales |
| The After – Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham | |
| Invincible – Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron | |
| Knight of Fortune – Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk | |
| Red, White and Blue – Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane | |
| Best Animated Short Film | War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko – Dave Mullins and Brad Booker |
| Letter to a Pig – Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter | |
| Ninety-Five Senses – Jared and Jerusha Hess | |
| Our Uniform – Yegane Moghaddam | |
| Pachyderme – Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius | |
| Best Original Score | Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson |
| American Fiction – Laura Karpman | |
| Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – John Williams | |
| Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson (posthumous nomination) | |
| Poor Things – Jerskin Fendrix | |
| Best Original Song | “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie – Music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell |
| “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot – Music and lyrics by Diane Warren | |
| “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie – Music and lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt | |
| “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony – Music and lyrics by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson | |
| “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon – Music and lyrics by Scott George | |
| Best Sound | The Zone of Interest – Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn |
| The Creator – Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic | |
| Maestro – Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic | |
| Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor | |
| Oppenheimer – Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo, and Kevin O’Connell | |
| Best Production Design | Poor Things – Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek |
| Barbie – Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer | |
| Killers of the Flower Moon – Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis | |
| Napoleon – Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff | |
| Oppenheimer – Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman | |
| Best Cinematography | Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema |
| El Conde – Edward Lachman | |
| Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto | |
| Maestro – Matthew Libatique | |
| Poor Things – Robbie Ryan | |
| Best Makeup and Hairstyling | Poor Things – Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and Josh Weston |
| Golda – Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby, and Ashra Kelly-Blue | |
| Maestro – Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou, and Lori McCoy-Bell | |
| Oppenheimer – Luisa Abel | |
| Society of the Snow – Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé | |
| Best Costume Design | Poor Things – Holly Waddington |
| Barbie – Jacqueline Durran | |
| Killers of the Flower Moon – Jacqueline West | |
| Napoleon – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman | |
| Oppenheimer – Ellen Mirojnick | |
| Best Film Editing | Oppenheimer – Jennifer Lame |
| Anatomy of a Fall – Laurent Sénéchal | |
| The Holdovers – Kevin Tent | |
| Killers of the Flower Moon – Thelma Schoonmaker | |
| Poor Things – Yorgos Mavropsaridis | |
| Best Visual Effects | Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima |
| The Creator – Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, and Neil Corbould | |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Stéphane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, and Theo Bialek | |
| Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, and Neil Corbould | |
| Napoleon – Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco, and Neil Corbould |
Academy Honorary Awards
- Angela Basset
- Mel Brooks
- Carol Littleton
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
- Michelle Satter
Multiple Awards and Nominations
| Awards | Film |
|---|---|
| 7 | Oppenheimer |
| 4 | Poor Things |
| 2 | The Zone of Interest |
Presenters and performers
| Name(s) | Role |
|---|---|
| David Alan Grier | Served as announcer for the 96th Academy Awards |
| Mary Steenburgen | Presented the award for Best Supporting Actress |
| Anya Taylor-Joy | Presented the awards for Best Animated Short Film and Best Animated Feature Film |
| Octavia Spencer | Presented the awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay |
| Catherine O’Hara | Presented the awards for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Production Design |
| John Cena | Presented the award for Best Costume Design |
| Dwayne Johnson | Presented the award for Best International Feature Film |
| Ryan Gosling | Presented tribute to all the stunt performers in cinema history |
| Christoph Waltz | Presented the award for Best Supporting Actor |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | Presented the awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Film Editing |
| Kate McKinnon | Presented the awards for Best Documentary Short Film and Best Documentary Feature Film |
| Zendaya | Presented the award for Best Cinematography |
| Ramy Youssef | Presented the award for Best Live Action Short Film |
| John Mulaney | Presented the award for Best Sound |
| Ariana Grande | Presented the awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song |
| Forest Whitaker | Presented the award for Best Actor |
| Steven Spielberg | Presented the award for Best Director |
| Michelle Yeoh | Presented the award for Best Actress |
| Al Pacino | Presented the award for Best Picture |
| Nominations | Film |
|---|---|
| 13 | Oppenheimer |
| 11 | Poor Things |
| 10 | Killers of the Flower Moon |
| 8 | Barbie |
| 7 | Maestro |
| 5 | American Fiction |
| 5 | Anatomy of a Fall |
| 5 | The Holdovers |
| 5 | The Zone of Interest |
| 3 | Napoleon |
| 2 | The Creator |
| 2 | Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One |
| 2 | Nyad |
| 2 | Past Lives |
| 2 | Society of the Snow |
Performers
| Name | Role | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Rickey Minor | Music director | Directed the orchestra |
| Billie Eilish | Performer | “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie |
| Finneas O’Connell | Performer | “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie |
| Scott George | Performer | “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon |
| Osage singers and dancers | Performer | “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon |
| Jon Batiste | Performer | “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony |
| Becky G | Performer | “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot |
| Ryan Gosling | Performer | |
| Mark Ronson | Performer | |
| Simu Liu | Performer | |
| Scott Evans | Performer | |
| Ncuti Gatwa | Performer | |
| Kingsley Ben-Adir | Performer | |
| Slash | Performer | |
| Wolfgang Van Halen | Performer | “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie |
| Andrea Bocelli | Performer | “Time to Say Goodbye” during the annual “In Memoriam” tribute |
| Matteo Bocelli | Performer | “Time to Say Goodbye” during the annual “In Memoriam” tribute |
In Memoriam
| Memoriam |
|---|
| Alexei Navalny |
| Michael Gambon |
| Norman Jewison |
| Harry Belafonte |
| Diana Giorgiutti |
| Alan Arkin |
| Nitin Chandrakant Desai |
| Bo Goldman |
| Norman Reynolds |
| Julian Sands |
| Mark Gustafson |
| Andre Braugher |
| Chita Rivera |
| Tom Wilkinson |
| Glynis Johns |
| Jane Birkin |
| Paul Reubens |
| Piper Laurie |
| Richard Roundtree |
| Ryan O’Neal |
| Cynthia Weil |
| Bill Lee |
| Ryuichi Sakamoto |
| Robbie Robertson |
| Dewitt L. Sage |
| Hengameh Panahi |
| Michael Latt |
| Margaret Riley |
| Nancy Buirski |
| Sue Marx |
| Peter Berkos |
| Osvaldo Desideri |
| Joanna Merlin |
| Erik Lomis |
| Glenn Farr |
| Robert M. Young |
| Leon Ichaso |
| Greg Morrison |
| Jake Bloom |
| William Friedkin |
| Matthew Perry |
| Richard Lewis |
| Lee Sun-kyun |
| Carl Weathers |
| Glenda Jackson |
| Tina Turner |
