The 93rd Oscars was held in an unconventional way this year, hosted between Downtown’s Union Station and the Dolby Theatre.
The goal this year was to keep the pandemic from turning the typically indulgent Oscars ceremony into a superstar-spreader event. Organisers approached this by splitting the ceremony across a number of different venues.
Ultimately Netflix lead the night, with seven trophies won — two for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, two for Mank and then individual awards for best live-action short, best animated short and best documentary feature.
Disney had the second-largest haul with five, including three wins for Nomadland and two for Soul.
The Red Carpet @ Union Station
The telecast was always unlikely to provide a traditional affair. For this year’s Oscars, audiences were hosted at Union Station, in Downtown Los Angeles. An 82-year-old mass transit hub, it is 8 miles from the Dolby Theatre, which is where the Oscars are usually held. Without a standard host and with award recipients scattered across the globe, winners were also reached via satellite communications.
USA Today says of the venue choice,
“It’s actually a stellar choice since the architectural gem offers beauty and grandeur – especially with the Grand Waiting Room and Historic Ticketing Hall, where most of the ceremony will take place.”
Source: USA Today
This year’s awards, which represented a clash between lo-fi style and old Hollywood glamour, couldn’t shake the influence of Covid. As Vogue explained,
“With such seamless award proceedings, it’s easy to forget that the United States’ Covid-19 infection rate remains the highest in the world. In-person gatherings like the Oscars have become a luxury for the wealthiest—those who can afford in-person rapid testing, a service that can cost into the thousands of dollars, as well as having access to premium healthcare and vaccines.”
Source: Vogue
Only a handful of media outlets were allowed on site at the awards. They were kept behind velvet rope at a fair distance from the nominees.
Read on for our highlights from the 93rd Annual Oscars.
Chloé Zhao
Adorned in 2021 Hermes and brilliant white sneakers, an elated Chloé Zhao took home the trophy for Best Director. This win has seen Zhao become the second woman to ever claim the title. Zhao’s Hermès dress was the epitome of understated elegance. It was a neutral, ruched gown-style garment with tiny beads sprinkled amongst the latticework. It hit just above the ankle to reveal a fresh pair of fresh white sneakers. Her trademark plaits complete the look. Nomadland also won Best Picture.
Carey Mulligan
This Best-Actress nominee for Promising Young Woman arrived at Union Station with her husband Marcus Mumford, wearing a one-of-a-kind couture piece from Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Valentino SS21 collection. Mulligan said that she has never seen a dress like it,
“It’s such stunning artistry that goes into designing and creating a dress like this.”
Source: Vogue
Frances McDormand
A bare-faced Frances McDormand embraced stripped-down style in a simple black gown with trimming this year.
“I have no words, my voice is my sword, we know the sword is our work, and I like work,” said McDormand. She received the Best Actress award for Nomadland.
It was McDormand’s third Best Actress win. She has previously won Oscars for her roles in Fargo and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. Joel Coen, McDormand’s husband, could be seen applauding from the Union Station audience after her win was announced.
Zendaya
Zendaya, a presenter at this years Oscars, wowed audiences with a canary yellow Valentino SS21 gown. It was a custom look from Pierpaolo Piccioli. Her mermaid-style hair billowed in the wind.
Regina King
A former Oscar-winner herself, King returned to the awards this year as a director of One Night in Miami. The film had three nominations. Unfortunately, King went home empty-handed. King wore a custom, pale blue Louis Vuitton gown with bedazzled pleating and bold 1980’s-style shoulders.
Maria Bakalova
The star of Borat 2 wore a white, deep-v-lined Louis Vuitton gown, adorned with diamonds. The Best Supporting Actress nominee’s dress featured 100-meters of tulle.
Celeste Waite
The British songbird was nominated for Best Original Song for “Hear My Voice”, from The Trial of the Chicago 7. Celeste walked the red carpet wearing Gucci, holding a diamonte-encrusted, Gucci heart-shaped purse. Waite lost out on the award to H.E.R.’s Fight For You, from Judas and the Black Messiah.
Glenn Close v Olivia Colman
For the second time, Olivia Colman faced Glenn Close for the Best Supporting Actress award. Close wore a blue Armani dress in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Olivia Colman wore a long-sleeve scarlet gown at the Academy’s UK hub. Both were beaten out by Minari’s Yuh-jung Youn.
Laura Dern
Big Little Lies star Laura Dern wore a two piece Oscar de la Renta gown top the 93rd annual Oscars. It featured a black turtleneck, paired with a white ostrich feathered skirt. Dern accessorised the look with Pomellato jewellery and a pair of black Jimmy Choo shoes, featuring a crystal accent strap.
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