The biggest moments from the 2024 Oscars

The Oscars is one of the biggest — if not the biggest — nights in the American entertainment industry every year, and the 2024 Oscars were no different. All the stars were out tonight, from Best Actor nominees like Jeffrey Wright, Paul Giamatti, and Cillian Murphy to Best Director nominees like Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, and Jonathan Glazer.

The night always kicks off before the event officially starts, with some absolutely killer red carpet moments (and this year, a very good dog made a special appearance). Best Supporting Actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph and The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer gave some powerful speeches. Billie Eilish and Ryan Gosling brought the Barbie soundtrack to life. The Boy and the Heron beat out some worthy competitors for Best Animated Feature.

Oh, also John Cena got naked!

In case you missed the three-hour-long broadcast — or you just want to relive some of the best moments — here are the biggest moments from the 2024 Academy Awards.

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Messi seated at the Oscars

The Oscars is all about deciding who is the year’s best actor, actress, and director, but one question that’s somehow eluded the Academy until this year: Who’s a good boy? Or rather, who is the year’s goodest boy? Messi the dog from Anatomy of a Fall, that’s who! There was a bit of uncertainty if everyone’s favorite pooch was coming to this year’s ceremony, but luckily, Messi was able to clear his busy schedule to make an appearance at Hollywood’s biggest night.

Eugene Lee Yang stuns in his scene-stealing Oscar look

Photo: Sarah Morris/WireImage

It’s expected that if you’re walking the red carpet for the Oscars, you need to show up in your most eye-popping formal attire. Nimona star and former Try Guy Eugene Lee Yang showed up tonight intent to take home the honor for this year’s most attention-grabbing ensemble: An elegant red suit jacket complimented with a long flowing dress bottom.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph wins best speech with the night’s first speech

Da’Vine Joy Randolph gave a moving speech while accepting the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers. Co-star Paul Giamatti, who walked Da’Vine up to the stage when her name was announced, shed visible tears as Randolph talked about the power of being seen, accepted, and celebrated for her worth and thanking her mother, teachers, and publicists for guiding and supporting her in her career.

The Boy and the Heron wins, Hayao Miyazaki stays home

While this year’s Best Animated Feature category was stacked with terrific nominees, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse and Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron were the films most favored to win the prestigious award. After months of anticipation, The Boy and the Heron was finally revealed to be this year’s winner for Best Animated Feature.

His first feature-length animated film in over a decade, The Boy and the Heron marks Miyazaki’s second time winning the award for Best Animated Feature after his landmark win for 2001’s Spirited Away.

Cord Jefferson calls out risk-averse studios taking risks on $200 million movies

Cord Jefferson accepted the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on American Fiction. In his speech, Jefferson took a moment to call out Hollywood studios to take more chances on original films like American Fiction. “I understand this is a risk-averse industry,” Jefferson said. “But instead of making one $200 million movies, try making ten $20 million movies. The next Scorsese is out there, the next Nolan is out there; they just want a shot.”

Billie Eilish melts the audience by performing “What Was I Made For?”

Billie Eilish took the stage with her brother and collaborator Finneas O’Connell for a stirring orchestral rendition of her song ‘What Was I Made For?’ from the Barbie soundtrack. The song is nominated for this year’s Best Original Song alongside fellow Barbie track “I’m Just Ken.”

Naked John Cena gets performance anxiety streaking across the stage

The male body is not a joke, Jimmy Kimmel.

And in case you were wondering… yes, he really was buns out.

The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer calls attention to the ongoing Israeli-Palestine conflict

Jonathan Glazer took time in his acceptance speech for Best International Feature on behalf of The Zone of Interest to call out the historical parallels between the events of the Holocaust drama and the ongoing humanitarian crisis of the Israeli-Palestine conflict. “All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present,” Glazer said. “Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst.”

Robert Downey Jr. wins Best Supporting Actor, thanks his lawyer

In a career first, Robert Downey Jr. won the award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. “I’d like to thank my terrible childhood, and the Academy, in that order,” Downey said. “I’d like to thank my veterinarian – I meant, wife, Susan Downey. She found me a snarling rescue pet, and loved me back to life.”

Messi applauding for Robert Downey Jr. for his win

D’aww, who’s a good boy? Messi’s a good boy!

Twins stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito reunite on stage, air shared animosity for the Caped Crusader

“Batman, that son of a bitch.”

Godzilla Minus One wins the award for Best Visual Effects

With plastic Godzilla toys in hand, the visual effects team for Godzilla Minus One and Director Takashi Yamazaki took to the Oscars stage to accept this year’s award for Best Visual Effects. In a moving speech, Yamazaki compared his team to the underdog efforts of Rocky Balboa — beating the odds to prove that no matter what, everyone has a chance.

20 Days in Mariupol director accepts Oscar, saying he wished he never had to make the film in the first place

20 Days in Mariupol director Mstyslav Chernov took to the stage to accept the award for this year’s best Documentary Feature. In his acceptance speech, Chernov called attention to the auspiciousness of the Oscar win — the first in Ukrainian history — and expressed his sincerest wish that the history of the Russian-Ukrainian war is told and remembered truthfully.

“I’ll be the first director on this stage who will say, ‘I wish I never made this film’,” Chernov said. “I wish I could exchange this for Russia never attacking Ukraine, never occupying our cities. I cannot change the history, I cannot change the past. But all together – among you, some of the most talented people in the world – we can make sure the record is set straight, and the truth will prevail. And that the people of Mariupol and those who have given their lives will never be forgotten. Cinema forms memories, and memories form history.”

John Mulaney recaps Field of Dreams

After extolling some great lines of cinema (including “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died”), John Mulaney went into a rapid-fire SparkNotes rundown of the plot of Field of Dreams, using the phrase “ghost baseball” several times more than any Oscar ceremony on record.

Ryan Gosling performs “I’m Just Ken,” Slash plays guitar!

In a sparkly pink suit, Ryan Gosling started to croon Ken’s big anthem from the audience, before he took the the stage with a group of fellow Kens. It was bright and pink, with big Barbie face props and some karate chops. Also, Slash from Guns N’ Roses!

Billie Eilish and Finneas make all young people look bad by winning second Oscar before turning 30

Billie Eilish and Finneas accepted the Oscar for Best Original Song for “What Was I Made For?” In an emotional speech, Eilish thanked director Margot Robbie and everyone who was deeply affected by Barbie and the song. With this win, Billie Eilish became the first woman to win the “Triple Crown” (Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe) for a work of film music twice.

Christopher Nolan wins Best Director, gets played off by the theme for Pirates of the Caribbean

Christopher Nolan took home the award for Best Director on behalf of Oppenheimer. In his acceptance speech, Nolan thanked his wife and producer Emma Thomas, and commented on how honored he felt to be considered a part of cinema’s century-long legacy. “We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here, but to know that you think I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.” Then, they played him off to Hans Zimmer’s Pirates of the Caribbean theme. Weird!

Emma Stone wins Best Actress with a broken dress

For her role as Bella Baxter in Poor Things, Emma Stone won the award for Best Actress, tearfully accepting the award (and pointing out to the presenters that her dress broke, probably some time during the “I’m Just Ken” performance). Stone looked incredibly surprised to accept the award, especially when up against Lily Gladstone and Sandra Hüller.

“It’s not about me,” Stone said, referring to what Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos advised her about a possible acceptance speech. “It’s about a team that came together to make something greater than the sum of its parts. That is the best part of making movies.”

Oppenheimer wins Best Picture, Al Pacino says… something?

Al Pacino presented the award for Best Picture, announcing Oppenheimer’s win in a trail of syllables that everyone in the audience was able to make out just well enough for the winners to take the stage. Producer Emma Thomas Nolan gave the acceptance speech, thanking the Academy, her children, and her husband Christopher Nolan. “The reason this movie is the movie it was, was Chris Nolan. He’s singular, he’s brilliant… and I’m so grateful for you.”