Oscars 2021: Twitter fury as absent Anthony Hopkins beats Chadwick Boseman to Best Actor award

Viewers tuned into the what they have described as the wokest, most bizarre Oscars awards ceremony in the Academy Awards’ history on Sunday night.

From guests hailing the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict to political statements on the red carpet, together with strict social distancing rules and a pared-down list of attendees, the show – long called out for its usual lack of diversity – was unlike anything Oscars fans have seen before. 

Actress Regina King kicked off the night at the Los Angeles’ Union Station by celebrating Derek Chauvin’s conviction for murdering George Floyd during her opening monologue. 

The 50-year-old said: ‘It has been quite a year, and we are still smack dab in the middle of it. We are mourning the loss of so many.

‘And I have to be honest, if things had gone differently this past week in Minneapolis, I may have traded in my heels for marching boots.’

The audience of just 170 people were vocal in their support for her, as she continued: ‘Now, I know that a lot of you people at home want to reach for your remote when you feel like Hollywood is preaching to you. But as a mother of a black son, I know the fear that so many live with, and no amount of fame or fortune changes. That okay?’ 

Actress Regina King kicked off the night at the Los Angeles’ Union Station by celebrating Derek Chauvin’s conviction for murdering George Floyd during her opening monologue

Last week, Derek Chauvin was convicted of second degree murder over the May 2020 death of black man, George Floyd

Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, and Jamika Wilson spoke about identity politics as they accepted the award for Oscar for Best Hair and Makeup

Last Monday, a Minneapolis jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree manslaughter, third-degree murder and second-degree unintentional murder over the May 2020 death of unarmed black man, George Floyd. 

Director Travon Free turned his Oscars acceptance speech into a condemnation of police killings. 

The 35-year-old won Best Live Action Short along with co-director Martin Desmond Roe for their drama Two Distant Strangers – a 29 minute movie that examines the deaths of black Americans during encounters with police.

‘Today, the police will kill three people,’ Free stated as he took to the stage to accept his award. ‘Tomorrow, the police will kill three people. And the day after that, the police will kill three people. Because on average, the police in America every day kill three people. Which amounts to about 1,000 people a year. ‘

He continued: ‘Those people happen to be disproportionately black people. I just ask that you please not be indifferent. Please don’t be indifferent to our pain.

Earlier, as he walked the red carpet, Free also made a political statement, showing off the inside of his jacket which was emblazoned with the names of black people killed by police, including Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Rayshard Brooks and Daunte Wright.  

Meanwhile, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, and Jamika Wilson also spoke about identity politics as they accepted the award for Oscar for Best Hair and Makeup. 

Director Travon Free turned his Oscars acceptance speech into a condemnation of police killings during the 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday night. Earlier, as he walked the red carpet, Free also made a political statement, showing off the inside of his jacket which was emblazoned with the names of black people killed by police, including Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Rayshard Brooks and Daunte Wright

The 35-year-old (left) won Best Live Action Short along with co-director Martin Desmond Roe (right) for their drama Two Distant Strangers

Neal and Wilson are the first two black women to win the award, with Neal speaking out about breaking barriers as she took to the podium.   

‘I want to say thank you to our ancestors who put the work in. Who were denied but never gave up. And I also stand here, as we break this glass ceiling with so much excitement for the future,’ she stated to cheers from the crowd. 

‘Because I can picture black trans women standing up here, Asian and Latina sisters, and indigenous women. And it won’t be unusual or groundbreaking one day, it will just be normal’.

Even the winner of the Best Actor gong at the awards show – widely condemned as the most boring in history – caused upset.

The night ended when acting legend Anthony Hopkins beat the late great Chadwick Boseman.  

Hopkins, 83, won the coveted gong for his role in The Father, becoming the oldest person ever to win an acting Oscar.

Sunday’s gong is the second Academy Award for the British icon, who first won 29 years ago for his role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of The Lambs.  

Hopkins has since been nominated a five further times, but he was not expected to take home this year’s award. Boseman – who died of colon cancer aged just 43 last August – was widely tipped to win a posthumous award for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. 

The Academy Awards usually ends with the Best Picture award being announced, but this year it was decided that Best Actor would be the last award of the night. 

Many speculated that was because Boseman would be announced as the winner, and the awards show would end with a tribute to his illustrious career. 

When that did not happen, Hopkin’s win caused upset on social media. Dozens blasted that it was ‘the worst TV ending since Game of Thrones’.  

To make matters worse, Hopkins skipped the awards ceremony – which was held in Los Angeles’ Union Station – and did not deliver an acceptance speech.  

Sunday night’s Oscars – widely condemned as the most boring in history – ended with further upset after Anthony Hopkins beat Chadwick Boseman to win Best Actor 

The Best Actor category was the last award of the night, and Hopkin’s win caused upset on social media. Boseman is pictured in four of his different film roles

Elsewhere, indie film Nomadland scooped three awards, including Best Picture. 

The movie only made $2.5 million at the box office and is the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner in Academy Award history.  

However, its two other wins also helped make Oscars history. 

Chloe Zhao won Best Director for her work on the film, becoming the first woman of color and the second woman ever to win the coveted award. 

Meanwhile, Frances McDormand won Best Actress for Nomadland, picking up her third Best Actress Oscar. 

She is only the fourth woman to have won three or more Academy Awards for acting, joining Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and Meryl Streep in that illustrious category.   

McDormand, 63, howled as Nomadland won Best Picture. The cry – which mimicked a wolf – was a meaningful tribute to Michael Wolf Snyder, the film’s sound mixer, who tragically died by suicide last month at the age of 35.

Meanwhile, the 93rd Academy Awards still managed to be the ‘most diverse’ in history, with a number of winners who were BIPOC (black indigenous and people of color).  

In addition to Zhao becoming the first woman of color to win Best Director,  Youn Yuh-jung became the first Korean national to win Best Supporting Actress for her role in Minari. 

Daniel Kaluuya became the sixth ever black man to win Best Supporting Actor after he scooped the Oscar for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah.

 It is also the first time two female directors have ever been nominated in the Best Director category, with Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) and Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) both receiving nods. Only five women have ever been nominated in the category before.

Nomadland scooped three awards, including Best Picture. The movie only made $2.5 million at the box office and is the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner in Academy Award history

McDormand, 63, howled as Nomadland won Best Picture. The cry – which mimicked a wolf – was a meaningful tribute to Michael Wolf Snyder, the film’s sound mixer, who tragically died by suicide last month at the age of 35 

Chloe Zhao won Best Director for her work on Nomadland, becoming the first woman of color and the second woman ever to win the coveted award

The Academy Awards has celebrated its ‘most diverse’ ceremony in its 93 year history. Youn Yuh-jung  (left) became the first Korean national to win Best Supporting Actress. Daniel Kaluuya (right) became the sixth ever black man to win Best Supporting Actor after he scooped the Oscar for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah

————————————————————————————————————————————————————

‘It looks like a Starbucks’: Elton John pokes fun at Oscars set as he hosts star-studded online viewing party while Leslie Jones roasts winners for VERY long speeches after rule-change

Elton John lead stars poking fun at 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday night, which looked a little different this year due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

The ceremony was held at Union Station, the main railway station in Los Angeles, and the unique production and unusual setting sparked some amusing comments from celebrities watching at home. 

Speaking from his first-ever virtual fundraiser for the Elton John Aids Foundation, usually held in West Hollywood, the Rocket Man singer quipped: ‘The Oscar ceremony looks like it’s coming from a Starbucks somewhere.’

 Later, when speaking with husband David Furnish, a flummoxed Elton added: ‘I still can’t get over the set.’

Twitter and SNL star Leslie Jones did not hold back, as she is known for, giving her opinion on the event. 

Leslie, 53, filmed her reaction as Mank’s Erik Messerschmidt said he would like to split his trophy for Best Cinematography into ‘five pieces.’

‘But we really hope that you don’t cut it into five pieces because, Lord have mercy,’ Leslie said in her video. 

‘Everybody done got up there and said about 17 minutes of a f*****g speech. It’s already in the Alcoholics-Anonymous-and-we-gonna-roast-each-other f*****g building. And you motherf*****s look scared as f**k.’

She went on, ‘Don’t get up there and do a three-hour speech. So no, you shouldn’t be able to cut it into five parts. Thank God and move on, son!’ 

The Academy Awards was dramatically scaled down this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the ceremony held at Los Angeles’ Union Station. Just 170 guests were in attendance, and the red carpet was downsized. Elton John joked that it looked as if the ceremony was being held in ‘a Starbucks’ 

Hilarious: Elton John quipped that the Oscars ‘looked like a Starbucks’ as he hosted his own star-studded virtual party for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (pictured above)

Going to be a long night! SNL star Leslie Jones was not impressed with the overly long speeches

93RD ACADEMY AWARDS WINNERS

Best Picture

The Father

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank

Minari

Nomadland – WINNER

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Golden: Frances McDormand, Chloe Zhao, Mollye Asher and Dan Janvey (seen left to right) as Nomadland won Best Picture

 

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday

Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman

Frances McDormand – Nomadland – WINNER

Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy

Olivia Colman – The Father

Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Youn Yuh-jung – Minari – WINNER

Sweet: Youn Yuh-jung won Best Supporting Actress for Minari

 

Best Music (Original Score)

Da 5 Bloods

Mank

Minari

News of the World

Soul – WINNER

 

Best Animated Short Film

Burrow

Genius Loci

If Anything Happens I Love You – WINNER

Opera

Yes-People

 

Best Live Action Short Film

Feeling Through

The Letter Room

The Present

Two Distant Strangers – WINNER

White Eye

 

Best International Feature Film

Another Round – WINNER

Better Days

Collective

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Quo Vadis, Aida?

Talented: Thomas Vinterberg accepted Best International Film for Another Round

 

Best Sound

Greyhound

Mank

News of the World

Soul

Sound of Metal  – WINNER

 

Best Cinematography

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank – WINNER

News of the World

Nomadland

The Trial of the Chicago 7  

 

Best Music (Original Song)

H.E.R. – Fight for You – Judas and the Black Messiah – WINNER

Hear My Voice – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Husavik – Eurovision Song Contest

Io Si (Seen) – The Life Ahead

Speak Now – One Night in Miami…

 H.E.R.  won Best Original Song for Judas and the Black Messiah’s  Fight for You

 Best Director  

Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round

David Fincher – Mank

Lee Isaac Chung – Minari

Chloé Zhao – Nomadland – WINNER

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

Trailblazer: Chloe Zhao is the first woman of color to win Best Director 

 

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal 

Anthony Hopkins – The Father – WINNER

Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 

Gary Oldman – Mank

Steven Yeun – Minari 

 

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah – WINNER

Leslie Odom, Jr. – One Night in Miami…

Paul Raci – Sound of Metal

Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah

 

Best Animated Feature Film

Onward

Over the Moon

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Soul – WINNER

Wolfwalkers

Dynamic: Dana Murray (L) and Pete Docter won Best Animated Feature for Soul

 

Best Costume Design

Emma

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER

Mank

Mulan

Pinnochio

 

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

The Father – WINNER

Nomadland

One Night in Miami…

The White Tiger

 

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman – WINNER

Shaka King and Will Berson – Judas and the Black Messiah

Lee Isaac Chung – Minari

Darius Marder and Abraham Marder – Sound of Metal

 Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Blooming lovely: Emerald Fennell won Best Original Screenplay for Promising Young Woman

 

 

Best Documentary Feature

Collective

Crip Camp

The Mole Agent

My Octopus Teacher – WINNER

Time

 

Best Documentary Short Subject

Colette – WINNER

A Concerto Is a Conversation

Do Not Split

Hunger Ward

A Love Song for Latasha

 

Best Film Editing

The Father

Nomadland

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal – WINNER

The Trial of the Chicago 7

 

Best Production Design

The Father

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mank – WINNER

News of the World

Tenet

 

Best Visual Effects

Love and Monsters

The Midnight Sky

Mulan

The One and Only Ivan

Tenet – WINNER

 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Emma

Hillbilly Elegy

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER

Mank

Pinocchio

 

 

Advertisement