93rd Annual Academy Awards Results and Commentary (2021)

©A.M.P.A.S.®
©A.M.P.A.S.®
  • Date of Ceremony: Sunday, April 25, 2021
  • For films released in: 2020
Other years:

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94th >

Welcome to DigitalHit’s results and commentary for the 93rd Academy Awards, which took place on April 25th, 2021.

8:00 pm

The show opens with Regina King grabbing an Oscar and strolling into LA’s Union Station. She walks into the station’s main hall where nominees are seated in socially-distanced groupings.

“If things have gone differently in Minneapolis this week, I might have traded my heels for marching boots.”

She explains that everyone in the audience has been vaccinated and tested and they’re following the same safety protocols that have been in place on sets during the pandemic.

She introduces the nominees for Writing (Original Screenplay), while talking about their first jobs in the business. And the Oscar goes to Emerald Fennell for Promising Youn Woman.

8:09 pm

Regina now introduces the nominees for Writing (Adapted Screenplay). And the Oscar goes to Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller for The Father.

8:18 pm

Laura Dern, who won Supporting Actress last year, is presenting International Feature Film. She talks about the first time that her mother took her to see a foreign film. And the Oscar goes to Denmark’s Another Round.

8:26 pm

Laura Dern know presents the Oscar for Supporting Actor. And the Oscar goes to Daniel Kaluuya for Judas and the Black Messiah.

8:39 pm

Don Cheadle talks about the importance of Makeup and Hairstyling to a performance before introducing the nominees. And the Oscar goes to Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’s Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, and Jamika Wilson.

Don then presents Costume Design. And the Oscar goes to Ann Roth for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. As Roth is not there, Cheadle accepts on her behalf.

8:48 pm

Moving over to the Dolby Theatre, Bryan Cranston talks about the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award which is being presented to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, which helps industry members in need.

8:55 pm

Cranston introduces Bong Joon-ho, who’s at a cinema in Seoul, South Korea. He’s presenting the Academy Award for Directing. And the Oscar goes to Chloé Zhao for Nomadland.

9:06 pm

Riz Ahmed, a nominee tonight, is presenting the Academy Award for Sound. And the Oscar goes to Sound of Metal’s
Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh.

9:10 pm

Ahmed then presents the Academy Award for Live Action Short. And the Oscar goes to Two Distant Strangers’ Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe.

9:18 pm

Reese Witherspoon is presenting Animated Short. And the Oscar goes to If Anything Happens I Love You’s Will McCormack and Michael Govier.

9:22 pm

Reese is now presenting Animated Feature Film. And the Oscar goes to Soul and Pete Docter and Dana Murray.

9:32 pm

Marlee Matlin talks about the fact that a story can be be important at any length before introducing the nominees for Documentary (Short Subject). And the Oscar goes to Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard for Colette.

Matlin is now presenting Documentary Feature. And the Oscar goes to My Octopus Teacher and filmmakers Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster.

9:49 pm

Steve Yeun is presenting Visual Effects. And the Oscar goes to Tenet and visual effects wizards Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher.

9:52 pm

Brad Pitt, who won Supporting Actor last year, is presenting Supporting Actress. And the Oscar goes to Minari’s Yuh-Jung Youn.

10:02 pm

Halle Berry has the task of presenting the Academy Award for Production Design. And the Oscar goes to Mank and its design team of Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale.

10:06 pm

Halle is now presenting Cinematography. And the Oscar goes to Mank’s Erik Messerschmidt.

10:14 pm

Harrison Ford reads some bad notes that were given about the classic Blade Runner. That leads him into talking about the art of Editing before he presents the Academy Award for that craft. And the Oscar goes to Sound of Metal’s Mikkel E.G. Nielsen.

10:20 pm

Viola Davis is presenting the night’s second Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to filmmaker and philanthropist Tyler Perry. After a video presentation, Perry accepts.

10:31 pm

Zendaya is presenting Original Score. And the Oscar goes to Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste for Soul.

Zendaya then presents the Academy Award for Original Song. And the Oscar goes to Judas and the Black Messiah’s “Fight for You” and songwriters H.E.R., Dernst Emile II, and Tiara Thomas.

10:40 pm

Lil Rel hosts a trivia segment where Questlove plays a song and we have to guess whether it was an Oscar winner or nominee or neither. The first is “Purple Rain.” While the score won, the songs were not nominated. The second song is “Last Dance”. Daniel Kaluuya guesses it was a nominee but it actually won. Glenn Close is now asked about “Da Butt” from School Daze. She correctly guesses it wasn’t nominated and even does the dance.

10:51 pm

Angela Bassett now presents this evening’s In Memoriam segment.

10:59 pm

The legendary Rita Moreno is presenting Best Picture. Odd that it’s not the last award. And the Oscar goes to Nomadland and its producing team of Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, and Chloé Zhao.

11:10 pm

Last year’s Best Actress winner, Renée Zellweger, will be presenting the statuette to this year’s Best Actress winner. And the Oscar goes to Frances McDormand for Nomadland.

11:13 pm

Joaquin Phoenix, last year’s Best Actor, is presenting it to one of the gentlemen nominated tonight. And the Oscar goes to Anthony Hopkins for The Father. Hopkins was not there.

11:15 pm

Questlove, who DJ’d tonight’s ceremony, bids us goodnight.

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