Oscars 2024 Live Blog: Biggest moments from 96th Academy Awards and Oscar after parties

Everything that happened on Hollywood's biggest night.

Last updated: Monday, March 11, 2024 6:59AM GMT
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LOS ANGELES -- "Oppenheimer," a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was crowned best picture at a 96th Academy Awards that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan.

The most closely watched contest of the Academy Awards went to Emma Stone, who won best best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in "Poor Things." In what was seen as the night's most nail-biting category, Stone won over Lily Gladstone of "Killers of the Flower Moon." Gladstone would have become the first Native American to win an Academy Award.

Instead, Oscar voters couldn't resist the full-bodied extremes of Stone's "Poor Things" performance. The win for Stone, her second best actress Oscar following her 2017 win for "La La Land," confirmed the 35-year-old as arguably the preeminent big-screen actress of her generation.

Here are the most memorable moments from the 96th Academy Awards and the hottest Oscar after parties.

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Hayley FitzPatrick, Carson Blackwelder, Angeline Jane Bernabe, Shafiq Najib, and Mason Leibvia with "Good Morning America" contributed to this report.

Jan 16, 2025, 1:07 PM

'I'm Just Ken' and a naked John Cena: Here are top moments from the 2024 Oscars

The 96th Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, had no shortage of show-stopping moments.

See the full list of the best highlights of the night here.

Mar 11, 2024, 2:18 AM GMT

Emma Stone wins best actress

Emma Stone has won the Oscar for best performance by an actress in a leading role for their work in "Poor Things."

With a laugh and tears in her eyes, Stone went onstage and shared that her dress was ripped in the back and that she was losing her voice.

In her acceptance speech, Stone acknowledged her fellow nominees in the category.

"The women in this category -- Sandra, Annette, Carey, Lily -- I share this with you," she said. "I'm in awe of you. It's been such an honor to do all of this together. I hope we get to keep doing more together."

"The other night, I was panicking -- as you can see, happens a lot -- that maybe something like this could happen," she continued. "And Yorgos said to me, please take yourself out of it. And he was right. Because it's not about me. It's about a team that came together to make something greater than the sum of its parts. And that is the best part about making movies, is all of us together. And I am so deeply honored to share this with every cast member, with every crew member, with every single person who poured their love and their care and their brilliance into the making of this film."

Emma Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "Poor Things" at the 2024 Oscars.

Stone then thanked director Yorgos Lanthimos for giving her "the gift of a lifetime in Bella Baxter." She ended her speech by thanking her mom, her dad, her brother Spencer Stone, her husband Dave McCary and her daughter.

"I love you bigger than the whole sky, my girl," she said.

Stone also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA this awards season for her work in "Poor Things."

Before the Oscar was announced, each best actress nominee was honored by previous best actress winners including Michelle Yeoh, Sally Field, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Lange.

Other nominees in the category included Annette Bening for "Nyad," Lily Gladstone for "Killers of the Flower Moon," Sandra Hüller for "Anatomy of a Fall" and Carey Mulligan for "Maestro."

Born and raised in in Scottsdale, Arizona, she began acting as a child in a theater production of "The Wind in the Willows" in 2000.

Stone previously won best actress in 2017 for "La La Land."

Keep up with the full list of winners here.

Mar 11, 2024, 2:10 AM GMT

Christopher Nolan wins best director for 'Oppenheimer'

Christopher Nolan has won the Oscar for best achievement in directing for "Oppenheimer."

During his acceptance speech, Nolan thanked Universal Studios and the authors of the biography on which the movie is based, "American Prometheus," by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.

He also thanked all the cast members including Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy, as well as his wife, "the incredible Emma Thomas ... producer of all our films, and all our children. I love you."

Christopher Nolan takes home the Oscar for Best Directing: 'Oppenheimer'

"Movies are just a little bit over 100 years old," he continued, adding, "We don't know where this incredible journey is going from here, but to know that you think that I'm a meaningful part of it, means the world to me. Thank you very much."

In addition to best director, Nolan was also nominated tonight for best adapted screenplay, which ultimately went to Cord Jefferson for "American Fiction."

This awards season, Nolan has won a Golden Globe for best director and BAFTAs for best director and best film.

Other nominees in the best director category at the 2024 Oscars included Justine Triet for "Anatomy of a Fall," Martin Scorsese for "Killers of the Flower Moon," Yorgos Lanthimos for "Poor Things" and Jonathan Glazer for "The Zone of Interest."

Keep up with the full list of winners here.

Mar 11, 2024, 2:02 AM GMT

Cillian Murphy wins best actor

First-time nominee Cillian Murphy has won the Oscar for best performance by an actor in a leading role for his work in "Oppenheimer."

The actor, who portrayed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, in "Oppenheimer," said he was "overwhelmed" to have won the award.

"I'm a very proud Irishman standing here tonight," he said. "We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb and, for better or for worse, we're all living in Oppenheimer's world, so I would really like to dedicate this to peacemakers everywhere."

Cillian Murphy won his first-ever Oscar, taking home the trophy for Best Actor for his performance in "Oppenheimer."

Murphy accepted the Oscar from a group of previous best actor winners, including Nicolas Cage, Matthew McConaughey, Brendan Fraser, Ben Kingsley and Forest Whitaker.

This awards season, Murphy has won a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a BAFTA.

Other nominees in the category included Bradley Cooper for "Maestro," Colman Domingo for "Rustin," Paul Giamatti for "The Holdovers" and Jeffrey Wright for "American Fiction."

This is Murphy's sixth collaboration with Christopher Nolan, but first time taking on a lead role in one of Nolan's films.

Keep up with the full list of winners here.

Mar 11, 2024, 1:41 AM GMT

Oscars red carpet fashion: Stars go bold in black

The Oscars red carpet opened with some stunning looks on Hollywood's biggest night with a clear trend: black is back! Even "Barbie" herself got the memo.

Watch the video below for a look at this major trend on the red carpet.

Oscars red carpet fashion featured stars going bold in black, with Sandra Huller, Eva Longoria and more sporting inky-dark frocks.