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Ariana DeBose, Questlove, & Will Smith Win Big At 94th Oscar Awards

Source: ROBYN BECK / Getty

Based on your Twitter timelines, you would think Will Smith slapping Chris Rock was the only thing that happened during The 94th Oscars on Sunday night (Mar.28), but that is not the case. There were definitely huge moments that deserve our attention.

The night got off to a historic start before Will Smith decided to slap that taste out of Chris Rock’s mouth after he joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. While Denis Villeneuve’s remake of the classic sci-fi epic Dune racked up the wins, Ariana DeBose’s historic win stood out first for her exceptional performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake was a moment.

The win for DeBose was groundbreaking because she made history by becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ woman of color to take home an Academy Award. During her speech, DeBose pointed that out while thanking and paying tribute to her family and the people she worked with on the film.

DeBose began her speech by referencing the song “America” that she and Rita Morena sang in the film. Morena played Anita in the original movie and played a new character in the Spielberg remake. “You know what, now you see why Anita says I want to be in America because even in this weary world that we live in, dreams do come true. And that’s really a heartening thing right now.”

DeBose also thanked Moreno, telling the legendary actress that she paved the way for “tons of Anitas” like her. She also expressed the importance of art allowing her to be who she is openly, and that is being an “openly queer woman of color, an Afro-Latina, who found her strength in life through art.”

DeBose wasn’t the only historic win on the night. When he took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, CODA star Troy Kotsur became the first deaf man to win an Academy Award. The film also won Best Picture to cap the night for the groundbreaking film.

Roots co-founder Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson won Best Documentary for Summer of Soul, his first Oscar Award. The win came right after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, who was presenting the award. Fighting back the tears, Thomspon admitted the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival was something his mother and late father should have taken him to.

And, of course, Will Smith took home of Hollywood’s biggest night’s prominent awards taking home the Best Actor Academy Award, for his fantastic portrayal of Richard Williams. Sadly, what he did before that took center stage.

Here is a complete list of the winners below:

Best Sound

Dune, Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill, and Ron Bartlett

Best Documentary Short Subject

The Queen of Basketball, Ben Proudfoot 

Best Animated Short Film

The Windshield Wiper, Alberto Mielgo, and Leo Sanchez 

Best Live Action Short Film

The Long Goodbye, Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed

Best Original Score

Dune, Hans Zimmer

Best Film Editing

Dune, Joe Walker 

Best Production Design

Dune, production design: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, and Justin Raleigh

Best Supporting Actress

Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)

Best Cinematography

Dune, Greig Fraser

Best Visual Effects

Dune, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor, and Gerd Nefzer

Best Animated Feature Film

Encanto, Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino, and Clark Spencer

Best Supporting Actor

Troy Kotsur (CODA

Best International Feature Film

Drive My Car (Japan)

Best Costume Design

Cruella, Jenny Beavan 

Best Original Screenplay

Belfast, written by Kenneth Branagh

Best Adapted Screenplay

CODA, screenplay by Sian Heder

Best Documentary Feature

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent, and David Dinerstein

Best Original Song

“No Time To Die” from No Time to Die, music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

Best Director

Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)

Best Lead Actor

Will Smith (King Richard)

Best Lead Actress

Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)

CODA, Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, producers

Congrats to all the winners.

Photo: ROBYN BECK / Getty

Despite The Slap, History Was Made During The 94th Academy Awards, Full List of Winners  was originally published on hiphopwired.com