Every year, the biggest names in Hollywood take a break from all the movie-making to put on the glamorous Academy Awards show. This tradition dates all the way back to 1929 when the very first Academy Awards show was hosted by actor and director Douglas Fairbanks at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. While the show has grown significantly in size and has moved locations more than once, the core concept remains the same.
For one night, the creative minds in Hollywood highlight the best movies and performances of the previous year, bestowing the winners with the prestigious Oscar award. As determined by a roster of over 7,000 voters, Academy Award nominees and recipients earn their place in history in the never-ending battle to be claimed as the best in the business. Today, we’re taking a look at the 2022 Academy Awards show as we see who won big and who walked away disappointed.
The 2022 Academy Awards Get Back in the Groove
Given the tumultuous past few years in the world of cinema, the 2022 Academy Awards presented an opportunity for the show to get back on its feet. For the first time since 2018, the show had an actual host, providing a voice and backbone for the night’s proceedings.
The 2022 Academy Awards gave us not just one, but three hosts, with a trio of comediennes including Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes. Plenty of other popular presenters popped up to show their support as well, including Lady Gaga, Liza Minelli, and Chris Rock.
As is usual, the 2022 Academy Awards offered plenty of controversial moments for the internet to buzz about, fueling online discussion for several days. This surplus of hot takes was the result of an excess of viewers, as the 2022 Academy Awards closed out with surprisingly good numbers.
The lengthy awards show brought in over 16 million viewers, which was a sizable increase when compared to 2021’s dismal 10 million. It was also better received in terms of ratings than last year’s show, but only by a bit. That said, there were still some stellar films on display, and competition within categories was notably tough.
The Big Winners of the 2022 Academy Awards
As always, the list of nominees was packed with creative excellence, representing the very best that the filmmaking industry had to offer in 2021. The psychological drama The Power of the Dog, directed by Jane Campion and based on the 1967 novel, led the pack with a staggering 12 nominations.
The long-awaited sci-fi epic Dune followed shortly behind with 10 nominations of its own, including Best Picture, Best Original Score, and more. Other big hitters included Kenneth Brannagh’s Belfast, a fictionalized account of his family’s plight in Northern Island circa 1969, as well as the live-action adaptation of the iconic musical, West Side Story, directed by the prolific Stephen Spielberg.
Dune made out with the most wins of the night, walking away with six individual awards, including Best Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best Sound. Dune also nabbed the Best Original Score award, earning Hans Zimmer his first Oscar award in over 25 years. Speaking of original music, popular duo Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell beat out some exceptional competition in the Best Original Song category, earning the award for their work on the song “No Time to Die” from the James Bond film of the same name.
Will Smith and Jessica Chastain both got top honors and walked away with their first Academy Award ever, hot off their roles as Richard Williams in King Richard and Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, respectively.
Director Jane Campion also made history as the first female director to win two Oscars, with Campion sealing the deal for her work on The Power of the Dog. The prestigious Best Picture award went to the coming-of-age drama CODA, becoming the first film from a streaming service to claim the award.
Our Thoughts on the 2022 Academy Awards
While the 2022 Academy Awards were an improvement from previous years, there is definitely some room for the show to grow. Many viewers were quick to point out their perceived flaws, with some criticism being lobbed at the Best Animated Feature category, while others pointed out the lack of love shown for major movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Regardless, we’re happy to see the cinematic world getting back into the swing of things after a handful of awkward years. We’re looking forward to all the movies coming out this year and can’t wait to see what films earn nominations for the inevitable 2023 Academy Awards!
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