The 98th Academy Awards at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre delivered a blend of historic milestones and unscripted chaos. While the evening celebrated cinematic achievement, it proved a challenging night for Timothée Chalamet, according to bbc.com. Despite his leading role in Marty Supreme, Chalamet lost the Best Actor race to Michael B. Jordan and found himself the target of host Conan O’Brien’s sharpest barbs.
O’Brien’s monologue mocked Chalamet’s recent controversial claim that “no one cares” about ballet or opera. “Security is tight tonight,” O’Brien quipped. “I’m told there’s a concern about attacks from the opera and ballet communities. They’re just mad you left out jazz.”
Outside the glamour, Los Angeles was under a security lockdown. Heightened tensions surrounding the conflict in Iran led to layered perimeters, SWAT presence and sniffer dogs patrolling the Ovation Hollywood complex.
Inside, O’Brien attempted to keep spirits high by leaving hand-written notes and “Moderately Happy Meals” under seats. “These snacks may not look like much, but in any cinema, they would run you $85,” the note read, urging nominees that “enthusiastic laughter is good for my ego.”
The night was defined by several “firsts” that kept the press room buzzing.
A Rare Tie: For the first time since 2013, a category resulted in a deadlock. Both The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva shared the Oscar for Best Live Action Short.
K-Pop Recognition: KPop Demon Hunters made history with the first-ever Best Original Song win for a K-pop track. Despite being cut off during their televised speech, songwriters Mark Sonnenblick and Maggie Kang used the backstage mic to dedicate the win to Korean cinema.
Cinematography Milestone: Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman in history to win Best Cinematography for Sinners. “A lot of little girls that look like me will sleep well tonight because they want to become cinematographers,” she noted emotionally.
Backstage, Best Supporting Actress winner Amy Madigan hinted at a potential prequel for the horror hit Weapons. Discussing her villainous role, she confirmed that director Zach Cregger has “wacky ideas” in development, though cautioned that in Hollywood, “nothing’s real till it is.”
