Entertainment

The winners and losers of the 2019 Oscars

It was a good night for Olivia Colman but a bad one for Glenn Close.
It was a good night for Olivia Colman but a bad one for Glenn Close. It was a good night for Olivia Colman but a bad one for Glenn Close.

It was a good night for some at the 91st Oscars but a disappointing night for others.

Winners

– Olivia Colman

The Broadchurch actress was clearly stunned to beat Glenn Close in the leading actress category and even apologised to The Wife star for depriving her of a long-awaited win.

She was so delighted by her prize that she thanked everybody she could think of including presenters Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell and even Lady Gaga, who was seated in the front row.

– Female directors

While female filmmakers were shut out of the main directing category they cleaned up in the documentary and shorts categories.

Free Solo director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi collected the best documentary feature prize and thanked National Geographic “for hiring women and people of colour, it only helps make the films better”.

Bao director Domee Shi, the first woman in Pixar’s history to direct a short film at the studio, collected the prize for best animated short film, while Period. End Of Sentence was named best documentary short subject.

Director Rayka Zehtabchi took to the stage and said: “I promise I’m not crying because I’m on my period. I can’t believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar.”

– Black Panther

The 91st Academy Awards – Press Room – Los Angeles
The 91st Academy Awards – Press Room – Los Angeles Ruth Carter with the award for best costume design for Black Panther (Alberto Rodriguez/PA)

The Marvel superhero film won three Oscars and made history with two of them.

Ruth Carter became the first black winner of the costume design prize, while Hannah Beachler became the first black winner of the production design prize.

It also scored the gong for best original score.

– Green Book

The controversial film about a black jazz pianist and a white driver touring the segregated south was the shock winner of the best picture prize, and also scored gongs for its screenplay and for best supporting actor Mahershala Ali.

The film has been blighted by criticism and co-writer and producer Nick Vallelonga apologised after an anti-Muslim tweet, while director, writer and producer Peter Farrelly apologised after accusations he had exposed himself on film sets in the past.

– Rami Malek

Just months ago Malek was only really known to fans of the drama Mr Robot but he is now a global star thanks for his turn as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and an Oscar winner to boot.

He collected the best actor prize after a passionate kiss with his co-star Lucy Boynton.

– Spike Lee

Almost 30 years after Do The Right Thing was overlooked in the best picture category, Spike Lee finally won a competitive Oscar.

He collected the best adapted screenplay gong for BlacKkKlansman from Samuel L. Jackson and jumped into his arms on stage in celebration.

He also issued a passionate call to action ahead of the 2020 presidential election, imploring people to “on the right side of history”.

Losers

– Glenn Close

After seven nominations without a win, Close was widely expected to walk away with the best actress prize for The Wife and her gold caped gown seemed a perfect accompaniment to the gold statuette.

But the award was snatched by Bafta winner Colman, who told her from the stage: “You have been my idol for so long, this is not how I wanted it to be.”

– Vice

Nominated in eight categories and the second most honoured film, it was only awarded one prize, for make-up and hair styling.

Lead actor Christian Bale lost out to Malek, supporting actress Amy Adams lost out to Regina King and director Adam McKay lost to Alfonso Cuaron.

– Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Oscar watchers hoping Richard E Grant could make a late surge for the best supporting actor prize were left disappointed, as were those hoping the film might scoop best adapted screenplay.

Instead the film, about literary forger Lee Israel, left empty handed.

– The Favourite

The film went into the Oscars tied with Roma for the most nods but left with only one statuette – the prize for Colman.

It had been thought the film might be recognised in some of the craft categories – notably costume design and production design – but were bested by Black Panther, while the original screenplay, which was considered close to a lock, was taken by Green Book.

– Bradley Cooper

The actor made his directorial debut with A Star Is Born, for which he wrote the script, the music, produced and took a starring role.

He learned to sing and play the guitar for his part but in the end the only prize the film won was not one for him.

Lady Gaga collected the gong for best original song with Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt and Anthony Rossomando for their creation Shallow.

Cooper’s only high point was when he performed the track with Gaga in a steamy duet as his partner Irina Shayk looked on.

– Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart (PA)

It turned out the Oscars it did not need a host as the ceremony rattled along apace just fine without supervision from Hart, who stepped down following controversy over homophobic tweets.

The show opened with a performance from Queen and Adam Lambert before the presenting trifecta of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph took to the stage to poke fun at all the drama.

The best picture honours were done by Julia Roberts.