Awards
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The 95th Academy Awards, which aired live on ABC, took over the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday (March 12).
Everything Everywhere All at Once was the evening’s biggest winner, nabbing seven trophies out of its 11 nominations, including best picture, best directing, best actress, best supporting actress and best supporting actor.
Pop royalty was present and accounted for, with Rihanna performing “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Lady Gaga belting “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick. Both were nominated in the best original song category, but lost out to M.M. Keeravaani and Chandrabose for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR. In the best original score category, Volker Bertelmann won for All Quiet on the Western Front.
John Travolta introduced Lenny Kravitz’s performance of “Calling All Angels” during the In Memoriam segment. Travolta paid homage to “dear friends who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to,” choking up while referencing his late Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John, who died last August at age 73. Travolta teared up while saluting his friend and musical collaborator.
It was host Jimmy Kimmel’s third time steering the Academy Awards. In his opening monologue, Kimmel naturally had a joke about Will Smith’s infamous slap of 2022 Oscars host Chris Rock. “We want me to feel safe. We have strict policies in place. If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during this show, you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute-long speech,” Kimmel said.
Lady Gaga
Image Credit: Rich Polk
Lady Gaga at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Janelle Monáe & Kate Hudson
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Janelle Monáe and Kate Hudson at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
David Byrne & Stephanie Hsu
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David Byrne and Stephanie Hsu perform at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Chandrabose & M. M. Keeravani
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Chandrabose and M. M. Keeravani accept the Best Original Song award for ‘Naatu Naatu’ from “RRR” onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, Calif.
Lady Gaga & Jamie Lee Curtis
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Lady Gaga and Jamie Lee Curtis at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Melissa McCarthy & Halle Bailey
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Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
John Travolta
Image Credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via GI
John Travolta speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Cali.
Rihanna
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Rihanna performs onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, Calif.
A$AP Rocky
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A$AP Rocky at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Diane Warren & Sofia Carson
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Diane Warren and Sofia Carson at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Kartiki Gonsalves & Guneet Monga
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Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Volker Bertelmann
Image Credit: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via GI
Volker Bertelmann accepts the award for Original Score at the 95th Academy Awards in the Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, Calif.
Rihanna
Image Credit: Rich Polk
Rihanna performs at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Elizabeth Olsen & Pedro Pascal
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Elizabeth Olsen and Pedro Pascal at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Riz Ahmed & Questlove
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Riz Ahmed and Questlove speak onstage at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Sofia Carson
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Sofia Carson at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Morgan Freeman & Margot Robbie
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Morgan Freeman and Margot Robbie at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Ke Huy Quan
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Ke Huy Quan at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Jamie Lee Curtis
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Jamie Lee Curtis at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Emily Blunt & Dwayne Johnson
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Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Jimmy Kimmel
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Jimmy Kimmel at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson
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Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson accept the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Ross White, James Martin & Tom Berkeley
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Ross White, James Martin, and Tom Berkeley at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Jamie Lee Curtis
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Jamie Lee Curtis at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Idris Elba & Nicole Kidman
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Idris Elba and Nicole Kidman at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Paul Rogers
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Paul Rogers at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Mindy Kaling & John Cho
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Mindy Kaling and John Cho at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Nicole Kidman & Jamie Lee Curtis
Image Credit: Rich Polk
Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Sarah Polley
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Sarah Polley at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Daniel Scheinert & Dan Kwan
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Daniel Scheinert and Dan Kwan at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Florence Pugh & Andrew Garfield
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Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Eric Saindon, Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett & Joe Letteri
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Eric Saindon, Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett and Joe Letteri at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Elizabeth Banks
Image Credit: Rich Polk
Elizabeth Banks at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Rock legend Lenny Kravitz was present at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday (March 12) to perform the In Memoriam musical accompaniment at the 2023 Oscars. Each year, the Academy Awards pay homage to cinematic legends, both behind and in front of the camera, who have died since the last year’s ceremony.
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Prior to his performance, John Travolta took the stage to introduce him. “In this industry we have a rare luxury of getting to do what we love for a living and sometimes getting to do it with people that we come to love,” Travolta said. “It’s only fitting that we celebrate those we lost.”
Of those departed talents, Travolta said, “They’ve touched our hearts, made us smile and became dear friends who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to.” As he delivered that last line, a reference to his Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John’s song “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” he noticeably choked up, pushing back tears. Newton-John, who topped the Billboard Hot 100 five times, died last August at the age of 73. Travolta and Newton-John remained lifelong friends after starring in the smash 1978 film Grease, which launched both of their careers into the stratosphere.
Kravitz performed an elegant, heartfelt rendition of “Calling All Angels” from his 2004 album Baptism. “Calling All Angels” was one of that album’s singles. Last fall, Kravitz covered Billboard alongside rising star Steve Lacy. The “Bad Habit” singer cites Kravitz as a career inspiration, and the two discussed everything from their favorite musicians to playing the drums.
Following a chilling performance from Rihanna of “Lift Me Up” — the last best original song contender to be performed at the 2023 Oscars — it was finally time to announce the award. Together, Janelle Monáe and Kate Hudson announced the winner to be RRR‘s “Naatu Naatu.”
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Composer M.M. Keeravani and artist-lyricist Chandrabose accepted the win — it was the first nomination for both. The global hit “Naatu Naatu” soundtracks the most vibrant and upbeat scene in the otherwise battle-filled film.
“I grew up listening to the Carpenters and now here I am with the Oscars,” Keeravani said with a wide grin. He then continued to sing-speak the rest of his acceptance speech before concluding: “I love you all!” As for Chandrabose, he had a one-word message: “Namaste.”
“Naatu Naatu” (an Indian Telugu-language song) is the first song performed in a language other than English to win in this category since “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire 14 years ago.
“Naatu Naatu” competed against “Applause” (Tell It Like a Woman, music and lyric by Dianne Warren), “Hold My Hand” (Top Gun: Maverick, music and lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop), “Lift Me Up” (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson and lyric by Tems and Coogler) and “This Is a Life” (Everything Everywhere All at Once, music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne).
Keeravani previously told Billboard he was hoping to meet Rihanna at the Oscars. As for what’s next? He said: “I am looking forward to the world embracing more and more Indian songs, movies, stories and cultures. Not only from me, but from my fellow musicians, directors and movie-makers in India.”
Before she even turned 18, Malala Yousafzai had become one of the leading advocates for women’s education in Pakistan; she survived a Taliban murder attempt; and won a Nobel Peace Prize. She’s one of the most heroic, inspirational and impactful humans on the planet.
So, of course, at the 2023 Oscars, host Jimmy Kimmel had to force her to weigh in on one of last year’s stupidest nontroversies: Did Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine during the Venice Film Festival premiere of Don’t Worry, Darling?
“As the youngest Nobel Prize winner in history, do you think Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine?” Kimmel asked Yousafzai with a completely straight face. Without missing a beat, she simply replied, “I only talk about peace.”
“That’s why you’re Malala,” Kimmel said. “That’s a great answer.”
Yousafzai is an executive producer on the short movie Stranger at the Gate, which was nominated in the best documentary short subject category at the 2023 Oscars, ultimately losing to The Elephant Whisperers.
#SpitGate became a favorite Internet debate topic last fall after a video surfaced that appeared to show the “As It Was” singer and Billboard Hot 100 topper leaning over Pine and spitting on him. A rep for Pine soon explained it was merely an “odd online illusion” in the clip.
Just a few weeks ago, Pine explained in greater detail what happened. “He leaned down, and I think he said, ‘It’s just words, isn’t it?’” Pine shared. “‘Cause we had this little joke. We’re all jet-lagged, we’re all trying to answer these questions. Sometimes when you’re doing these press things, your brain gets befuddled and you start speaking gibberish. And we had a joke: ‘It’s just words, man.’”
As Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel made clear during his 2023 Oscars opening monologue, Rihanna was in the building (as was her nine-month-old son, who Kimmel also said had pooped backstage during rehearsals).
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Thanks to the stunning ballad “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the superstar scored her first Oscar nomination alongside Tems, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson. For the song’s live debut, Rihanna — whom actress Danai Gurira introduced as “royalty in her own right” — delivered a soaring performance.
Surrounded by a full band, string section and backup vocalists “Lift Me Up” came to life as Rih sang with palpable passion to honor the late Chadwick Boseman. Standing on a center platform draped in diamonds, when she declared “Lift me up… I need love” the stage obliged, elevating her a few inches into the air (nothing compared to her sky-high Super Bowl performance).
“Lift Me Up” marked Rihanna’s long-awaited return to music and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. As Göransson previously told Billboard, speaking of the film’s final scene in which the song plays: “When you hear her voice and the lyrics, that’s the point where you finally take it all in. You can see what a great filmmaker [director] Ryan [Coogler] is because in the scene right before you hear the song, it’s absolute silence. You see all these flashbacks, all these memories, and then you interrupt that [with] a song honoring Chadwick and [his character], T’Challa.”
The performance was celebrated with a standing ovation while the camera panned to A$AP Rocky, who lifted his champagne flute to the sky.
Composer Volker Bertelmann won the Academy Award for best score at the 2023 Oscars, for his musical accompaniment to the war film remake All Quiet on the Western Front.
Bertelmann’s win marks the second consecutive year that the award has gone to a German composer, following Hans Zimmer’s 2022 win for Dune. Movie and TV stars John Cho and Mindy Kaling presented the award, prompting the house orchestra in performing musical illustrations of some of the emotions from the five nominees.
“Thanks to the Academy for this huge recognition,” Bertelmann began his acceptance speech. “When I was working on the film, I was thinking a couple of times of my mom, because she was telling me every now and then — when you want to change humanity and empathy in the world, you have to start by yourself and your own surroundings. Because you learn by that, and you can show actually… how we all can live together. So by working on a film like that, you always are deeply touched.”
Bertelmann then went on to thank his wife, his kids, his collaborators and his fellow nominees, and “last but not least… all of you for this wonderful evening.”
All Quiet on the Western Front is nominated for nine Academy Awards at the 2023 ceremonies, including best picture, best visual effects and best adapted screenplay. The win for best score was already the film’s fourth on the evening, following earlier victories in the best international film, best cinematography and best production design categories.
Lady Gaga took the stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night (March 12) to perform her hit best song nominee “Hold My Hand,” from the blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
“I wrote this song with my friend BloodPop for the film Top Gun: Maverick in my studio basement,” she began her performance. “It’s deeply personal for me, and I think that we all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life, and we all need a hero sometimes. There’s heroes all around us, in unassuming places, but you might find that you can be your own hero even if you feel broken inside.”
Gaga then delivered a stripped-down version of the Maverick power ballad, with just a piano for accompaniment for the first verse and chorus, before being joined by drums and bass for the remainder of the performance. It was an appropriate raw and intimate-feeling version of the song, given its emotional introduction.
“Hold My Hand” hit No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022 — one of two Hot 100 hits from Maverick, along with OneRepublic’s “I Ain’t Worried.” Lady Gaga previously won the Oscar for best original song at the 2019 Academy Awards, for her Hot 100-topping Bradley Cooper duet “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.
Top Gun: Maverick is nominated for six total categories at this year’s Academy Awards, also including best editing, best adapted screenplay and best picture. It is one of two box office-besting sequels to be nominated for best picture this year, along with Avatar: The Way of Water.
The official trailer for Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, has arrived. It was introduced by Bailey and co-star Melissa McCarthy during the 2023 Oscars on Sunday night (March 12).
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Bailey stars as Ariel in the reimagining of the Disney animated classic, with an ensemble including McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton and Jonah Hauer-King as Eric.
Following a recent 30-second teaser and a clip focused on Bailey’s beautiful rendition of “Part of Your World” from D23, this extended preview — with a runtime of two minutes and twenty seconds — gives viewers a cinematic look at Ariel’s world and the characters that surround her, from life under the sea to life newly on land.
The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26.
Watch the trailer for the The Little Mermaid below.
Son Lux, Stephanie Hsu and David Byrne performed best song nominee “This Is a Life,” from the acclaimed Everyone Everywhere All at Once, at the 2023 Oscars in Los Angeles on Sunday night (March 12).
Dressed in all white — along with a throng of similarly costumed backing dancers — the performers delivered a deliberately choreographed version of the soundtrack song, in front of a backing band and video clips of the film’s Raccacoonie character. It ended with Hsu and Byrne at center stage, Byrne showing off his elongated fingers — a la the hot dog fingers displayed in one of the film’s many alternate universes.
Acclaimed indie rock singer-songwriter Mitski co-performed the original “This Is a Life” with Talking Heads frontman Byrne, but was not present for the performance. Hsu, who pulled double acting duty in Everyone Everywhere All at Once as daughter Joy Wong and villain Jobu Tapaki, filled in for Mitski for the brief “Life” rendition.
David Byrne is a prior Oscar winner, having co-composed the score for 1988 best picture winner The Last Emperor along with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su. Hsu was nominated for best supporting actress at this year’s awards, but lost to Jamie Lee Curtis for her performance in the same movie. Everyone Everywhere All at Once is the most-nominated movie on the evening, with 11 total nods, including for best picture.
“This Is a Life” faces stiff competition in the best original song category from the starry likes of Lady Gaga (for Top Gun: Maverick) and Rihanna (for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), as well as frequent nominee Dianne Warren.
Jimmy Kimmel returned as Oscars host for the third time on Sunday (March 12) at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. With discourse around Will Smith’s onstage slap of 2022 Oscars host Chris Rock (prior to winning best actor) being one of the biggest stories of last year, it was predictable but perhaps inevitable that Kimmel would wedge a joke about it into the 95th annual Academy Awards.
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In his opening monologue, 2023 Oscars host Kimmel made jokes about Rihanna’s nine-month-old pooping backstage during rehearsals, Elvis Presley still being alive and, of course, The Slap. “Most importantly – we want me to feel safe. We have strict policies in place. If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during this show, you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute-long speech,” Kimmel said. Separately, Kimmel also jested that with five Irish actors nominated at the 2023 Oscars, “The odds of a fight on stage just went way up.”
Later in the show, Kimmel returned to the topic before the award for best documentary feature was given out. “You may recall this is where we had that little skirmish last year. Hopefully this time it goes off without a hitch – or at least without Hitch,” he said, referencing the 2005 Will Smith film. “Please put your hands together and then keep them to yourself.”
Nick Cannon’s brood of children got a shoutout during the show. Mentioning that Avatar: The Way of Water cost Disney two billion, he quipped, “Just to break even, all Nick Cannon’s kid had to see Avatar four times.”
“This is my favorite duo of the year: Steven Spielberg and Seth Rogen. What a pair,” Kimmel said of The Fabelmans duo. “The Joe and Hunter Biden of Hollywood. Seth, what are you on right now, be honest. Nothing? Mushrooms, right?” Noting that Spielberg has never done a drug in his life, Kimmel joked, “You mean to tell me you were sober when you made a movie about an alien who eats Reese’s Pieces all day and can’t remember how to phone home?”