Oscars 2024 Winners: Oppenheimer Dominates With Seven Awards
Christopher Nolan's historical epic led the 96th Academy Awards, taking Best Picture, Director, and three acting prizes in a historic sweep.
The 96th Academy Awards belonged to Oppenheimer. Christopher Nolan’s atomic age epic swept the ceremony on March 10, 2024, winning seven Oscars including the night’s top prize. The film’s victories spanned Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, and acting wins for Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., cementing its status as the year’s defining cinematic achievement.
Emma Stone won Best Actress for her role in Poor Things, which finished second with four total awards. Da’Vine Joy Randolph claimed Best Supporting Actress for The Holdovers. The night was marked by a blend of predictable frontrunner wins and a few surprises that made Oscar history.
What Were the Biggest Wins of the Night?
Oppenheimer’s dominance was both broad and deep. Beyond the major categories, it also won for Cinematography, Film Editing, and Original Score. This made it the first film since Ben-Hur in 1959 to win Best Picture alongside both male acting awards. The film’s success crowned a decades-long campaign for Nolan to be recognized by the Academy and validated a summer box office phenomenon that grossed over a billion dollars worldwide.
Poor Things secured its four wins in the craft categories of Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Production Design, with Emma Stone’s leading performance as the chaotic Bella Baxter providing the crown jewel. American Fiction earned Cord Jefferson the Adapted Screenplay award, while Anatomy of a Fall took Original Screenplay for Justine Triet and Arthur Harari.
Which Moments Made Oscar History?
Several winners etched their names into the Academy record books. At 81, Martin Scorsese became the oldest Best Director nominee ever for Killers of the Flower Moon. Lily Gladstone’s nomination in the same category marked the first for a US-born Native American actress.
Robert De Niro set a different record, with 49 years passing between his first nomination for The Godfather Part II and his latest for Killers of the Flower Moon. Billie Eilish, who won Best Original Song for “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie, became the youngest person to win two Oscars. Her first came for the No Time to Die theme.
Two non-English language films broke barriers in craft categories. The Zone of Interest, the UK's International Feature Film winner, also became the first non-English language film to win Best Sound. Japan’s Godzilla Minus One made history by winning Best Visual Effects.
How Was the Ceremony Produced?
Jimmy Kimmel hosted the show for the fourth time, bringing his trademark steady humor to the Dolby Theatre stage. Producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, alongside director Hamish Hamilton, orchestrated a telecast that started an hour earlier to improve East Coast ratings. The show averaged 19.49 million viewers, a 4% increase from the previous year.
The production featured a dynamic new stage designed by Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley. Memorable moments included Ryan Gosling’s full-throated, Slash-featuring performance of “I’m Just Ken” and a poignant “In Memoriam” segment accompanied by Andrea Bocelli. The night before the main event, the Academy held its 14th Governors Awards, presenting honorary Oscars to Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks, and Carol Littleton.
You can explore our review of Oppenheimer for a deeper look at the year’s biggest winner.
Sources
Full Winners List
- WinnerOppenheimer
- WinnerChristopher Nolan — Oppenheimer
- WinnerCillian Murphy — Oppenheimer
- WinnerEmma Stone — Poor Things
- WinnerRobert Downey Jr. — Oppenheimer
- WinnerDa'Vine Joy Randolph — The Holdovers
- WinnerJustine Triet, Arthur Harari — Anatomy of a Fall
- WinnerCord Jefferson — American Fiction
- WinnerThe Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)
- WinnerThe Boy and the Heron
- WinnerLudwig Göransson — Oppenheimer
- WinnerThe Zone of Interest
- WinnerGodzilla Minus One
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Oscars did Barbie win?
*Barbie* won a single Academy Award. Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell won Best Original Song for "What Was I Made For?" Despite its eight nominations, it was largely overshadowed by *Oppenheimer*'s sweep in the major categories.
Who presented the Best Picture award?
Al Pacino presented the Best Picture award. He was originally scheduled to co-present with his *Scarface* co-star Michelle Pfeiffer, but she could not attend due to prior commitments on the East Coast. Pacino presented the final award of the night solo.
What was the biggest surprise of the night?
While the major categories followed predictions, the win for *Godzilla Minus One* in Visual Effects was a notable surprise. It triumphed over big-budget studio films like *The Creator* and *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3*, marking the first win for a Japanese film and a non-English language film in that category.
Did any film win all the awards it was nominated for?
No. While *Oppenheimer* won seven of its thirteen nominations, it did not achieve a perfect sweep. *The Zone of Interest* won two of its five nominations, and *American Fiction* won one of its five. No film won every category for which it was shortlisted.
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