Oscar Winners 2019: ​'Green Book' Upset, Minorities Make History

LOS ANGELES, CA — Perhaps it was fitting that a film about race relations in America pulled off an upset win for Best Picture on the same night that the Oscars delivered its most diverse cast of winners.

For the first time in 30 years, the biggest night in Hollywood kicked off Sunday evening without a host, but the night quickly proved entertaining, brisk, and notably historic. Just a couple years after the Oscars faced criticism for its lack of diversity, the 91st Academy Awards saw more black artists win than ever before. It was a night of both records and upsets.

"Black Panther" made history. "Roma" auteur Alfonso Cuaron dominated with three Oscars including Best Director for the foreign language film. Black actors swept the supporting actor and actress categories, and Spike Lee won his first Oscar after years of nominations.

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But the night ended with surprises in the top categories. "Green Book" unexpectedly took home the Oscars' top prize for Best Picture, and Olivia Colman beat out the favorite Glenn Close for Best Actress.

"Green Book," the depiction of the friendship that blossoms between a black master pianist and the gruff New York bouncer he hires as his bodyguard for a tour of the 1960s Deep South, also won Oscars for best supporting actor for Mahershala Ali and original screenplay for Brian Currie, Nick Vallelonga and Peter Farrelly, who also directed the film.

"The whole story is about love," Farrelly said as he helped accept the best-picture prize at the Dolby Theatre. "It's about loving each other despite our differences, and finding out the truth about who we are. We're the same people."

The Ceremony opened with a medley of Queen's greatest hits with Adam Lambert performing lead vocals.

The opening number proved prophetic as Rami Malek took home the first major award of the night, the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody."

“I may not have been the obvious choice, but I guess it worked out," he joked.

"Thank you, Queen, thank you guys for allowing me to be the tiniest part of your phenomenal, extraordinary legacy. I am forever in your debt,” he said. “Listen, we made a film about a gay man, an immigrant who lived his life just unapologetically himself, and the fact that I am celebrating him and this story with you tonight is proof that we’re longing for stories like this.”

"Bohemian Rhapsody" won four Oscars on the night, also earning prizes for sound editing for John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone; sound mixing for the trio of Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali; and film editing by John Ottman.

The first major upset of the night came towards the end of the ceremony with Colman winning for "The Favourite." She beat out top contender Close, star of "The Wife," and the most nominated actress never to win an Oscar.

The win for Colman, 45, for her portrayal of 18th Century British Queen Anne was a bit of a surprise, since Close had swept most of the pre-Oscar awards shows. But it was Colman who collected the Academy Award, and her shock was evident.

“It’s genuinely quite stressful. This is hilarious. I got an Oscar,” Colman joked through a stream of tears. "My kids are at home and watching, or if you're not, well, kind of, well done. But I sort of hope you are. This is not going to happen again."

She also addressed her competitor and idol, who broke her own record for the most nominations without a win.

“Glenn Close you have been my idol for so long, and this is not how I wanted it to be, and I think you are amazing," Colman added. "I love you very much.”

A montage from the year's biggest movies followed Queen's performance, and from there, the audience was treated to an unusually brisk award ceremony.

Comedians Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler took the stage hand-in-hand and wasted no time in addressing the elephant in the star-studded room - the confusing series of missteps and controversies leading to an Oscars ceremony without a host.

"We are not your hosts, but we are going to stand here a little too long so that the people who get USA Today tomorrow will think that we hosted," quipped Fey.

"So just a quick update for everybody in case you're confused. There is no host tonight. There won't be a popular movie category and Mexico is not paying for the wall," deadpanned Rudolph.

To the naked eye, it might look like the Academy’s effort to come back from last year’s all-time ratings low was off to an inauspicious start. Controversies and missteps led to the first Oscars telecast without a host in 30 years. And the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confused everyone with a series announcements, reversals and do-overs from the abandoned popular Film category to firing of host Kevin Hart after the comedian refused to apologize for years-old homophobic tweets.

It’s been an unpredictable year for the Oscars and that, in itself, could have been its saving grace. Often criticized for being too predictable, the 91st Academy Awards were anything but.

The night had barely begun when "Blank Panther" made Oscar history. With wins in Costume Design and Production Design, Ruth E. Carter and Hannah Beachler became the first African American women to win in their categories.

Lee, the outspoken filmmaker who's been nominated five times over the course of decades without notching a win, finally took home an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay with "BlacKkKlansman."

Cuaron singlehandedly dominated the awards, winning three times for his black-and-white story "Roma," which follows a domestic worker for a well-to-do Mexican family in the 1970s. In addition to winning in the directing category, he won for Best Cinematography and Best Foreign-Language Film.

"I want to thank the Academy for recognizing a film centered around an indigenous woman," he said, noting there are millions of such workers in the world "without work rights" — "a character that has historically been relegated in the background in cinema."

"As artists our job is to look where others don't. This responsibility becomes much more important in times when we are being encouraged to look away," Cuaron said.

In keeping with producers' vow to keep the night moving at a quick pace, the first award of the night, the award for Best Supporting Actress was quickly given to Regina King for her role in ``If Beale Street Could Talk.''

King beat out six-time nominee Amy Adams to score the win.

"I am an example of what it looks like when support and love is poured into someone," a tearful King said while thanking her mother, who she brought to the show.

Speaking to reporters at the Dolby Theatre, the 48-year-old actress said it's particularly resonant because the film itself is about love and persevering and is "so needed right now."

"It's a beautiful film ... I think it's a film that breaks through a lot of the sections that exist right now," King said. "Love is that thing that pushes us through trauma."

It's a reminder, she said, that "our circumstances are so different, but to the core we're really a lot alike."

The urban tragedy centers on an accusation of rape, and King said that is a nearly universal story.

"If we have not experienced a violation like that firsthand, we have lifted a sister up," she said.

It was important throughout, King said, to be clear that the character had been raped, though the lead character had been falsely accused as the perpetrator.

She called rape "a secret that shouldn't be a secret."

Ali took home his second Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in just three years. The "Green Book" star won the same prize three years ago for "Moonlight."

He was honored Sunday for his portrayal of Don Shirley, a black master pianist who is accompanied by a gruff, white New York bouncer/bodyguard on a tour of the 1960s Deep South in "Green Book."

"I want to thank Dr. Shirley for -- I was just trying to capture his essence," the 45-year-old Ali said. "Trying to capture Dr. Shirley's essence pushed me to my ends, which is a reflection of the person he was and the life that he lived, and I thank him. I thank my partner Viggo (Mortensen) -- extraordinary work. (Director) Peter Farrelly, thank you for your leadership and your guidance and for also giving us space, like, really giving us space to work it out and coming in and tweaking. Really appreciate it. Love you.

"... I want to dedicate this to my grandmother, who has been in my ear my entire life, telling me that if at first I don't succeed, try, try again. That I can do anything I put my mind to -- always, always pushing me to think positively, and I know that I would not be here without her. She has gotten me over the hump every step of the way."

Documentary filmmakers Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton took home their Best Documentary Short Subject Oscar for "Period. End of Sentence," and drew cheers for their unusual subject matter.

“I am not crying because I am on my period or anything,” said Rayka Zehtabchi. “I can’t believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar.”

Zehtabchi and Berton credited students and girls around the world who inspired their film with their fight for equality.

“A period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education,” Berton said.

The Academy Award for Best Original Song went to Lady Gaga and Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt for their song "Shallow" in "A Star Is Born." The singer used her acceptance speech as a chance to encourage struggling artists.

“If you are at home and you are sitting on your couch, and you are watching this right now, all I have to say is that this is hard work. I have worked hard for a long time. And it’s not about winning. But what it’s about is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it,” she said. “And it’s not about how many times you get rejected, or you fall down and are beaten up. It’s about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep on going.”

The Complete List Of Winners:

Best Picture

"Green Book," Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga

Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron, "Roma"

Best Actress

Olivia Colman, "The Favourite"

Best Actor

Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Best Supporting Actress

Regina King for "If Beale Street Could Talk."

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"

Best Cinematography

"Roma," Alfonso Cuaron

Best Original Screenplay

"Green Book," Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly

Best Adapted Screenplay

"BlacKkKlansman" Spike Lee, Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott

Best Original Song

"Shallow" from "A Star Is Born," music and lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt

Best Foreign Language Film

"Roma" (Mexico)

Best Documentary Feature

"Free Solo." Filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill

Best Makeup and Hair Styling

Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaneyfor "Vice."

Best Costume Design

Ruth Carter for "Black Panther."

Best Production Design

"Black Panther" Production designer Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart

Best Sound Editing

"Bohemian Rhapsody," John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone

Best Sound Mixing

"Bohemian Rhapsody," Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali

Best Film Editing

"Bohemian Rhapsody," John Ottman

Best Animated Feature Film

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Best Animated Short Film

"Bao," Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb

Best Documentary Short Subject

"Period. End of Sentence.," Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton

Best Visual Effects

"First Man," Paul Lambert Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm

Best Live Action Short Film

"Skin," Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman

Best Original Score

"Black Panther," Ludwig Goransson

The Complete List of Nominees:

Best Picture

• "Black Panther," Kevin Feige
• "BlacKkKlansman," Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Raymond Mansfield, Jordan Peele and Spike Lee
• "Bohemian Rhapsody," Graham King
• "The Favourite," Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday and Yorgos Lanthimos
• "Green Book," Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga
• "Roma," Gabriela Rodriguez and Alfonso Cuaron
• "A Star Is Born," Bill Gerber, Bradley Cooper and Lynette Howell Taylor
• "Vice," Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adam McKay and Kevin Messick

Best Actress

• Yalitza Aparicio, "Roma"
• Glenn Close, "The Wife"
• Olivia Colman, "The Favourite"
• Lady Gaga, "A Star Is Born"
• Melissa McCarthy, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

Best Actor

• Christian Bale, "Vice"
• Bradley Cooper, "A Star Is Born"
• Willem Dafoe, "At Eternity's Gate"
• Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
• Viggo Mortensen, "Green Book"

Best Director

• Alfonso Cuaron, "Roma"
• Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Favourite"
• Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman"
• Adam McKay, "Vice"
• Pawel Pawlikowski, "Cold War"

Best Supporting Actress

• Amy Adams, "Vice"
• Marina de Tavira, "Roma"
• Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
• Emma Stone, "The Favourite"
• Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite"

Best Supporting Actor

• Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"
• Adam Driver, "BlacKkKlansman"
• Sam Elliott, "A Star Is Born"
• Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
• Sam Rockwell, ``Vice''

Best Animated Feature Film

• "Incredibles 2," Brad Bird, John Walker and Nicole Paradis Grindle
• "Isle of Dogs," Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson
• "Mirai," Mamoru Hosoda and Yuichiro Saito
• "Ralph Breaks the Internet," Rich Moore, Phil Johnston and Clark Spencer
• "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Best Animated Short Film

• "Animal Behaviour," Alison Snowden and David Fine
• "Bao," Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb
• "Late Afternoon," Louise Bagnall and Nuria Gonzalez Blanco
• "One Small Step," Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas
• "Weekends," Trevor Jimenez

Best Original Song

• "All The Stars" from "Black Panther," music by Kendrick Lamar, Mark "Sounwave" Spears and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith; Lyric by Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith
• "I'll Fight" from "RBG," music and lyric by Diane Warren
• "The Place Where Lost Things Go" from "Mary Poppins Returns," music by Marc Shaiman, lyric by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
• "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born," music and lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt
• "When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings" from "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," music and lyric by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

Best Original Screenplay

• "The Favourite," Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
• "Roma," Alfonso Cuaron
• "First Reformed," Paul Schrader
• "Green Book," Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly
• "Vice," Adam McKay

Best Adapted Screenplay

• "Can You Ever Forgive Me?," Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
• "If Beale Street Could Talk," Barry Jenkins
• "BlacKkKlansman," Spike Lee, Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott
• "A Star Is Born," Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper and Will Fetters
• "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Best Foreign Language Film

• "Capernaum" (Lebanon)
• "Cold War" (Poland)
• "Never Look Away" (Germany)
• "Roma" (Mexico)
• "Shoplifters" (Japan)

Best Documentary Feature

• "Free Solo," Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill
• "Hale County This Morning, This Evening," RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim
• "Minding the Gap," Bing Liu and Diane Quon
• "Of Fathers and Sons," Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert
• "RBG," Betsy West and Julie Cohen

Best Documentary Short Subject

• "Black Sheep," Ed Perkins and Jonathan Chinn
• "End Game," Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
• "Lifeboat," Skye Fitzgerald and Bryn Mooser
• "A Night at the Garden," Marshall Curry
• "Period. End of Sentence.," Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton

Best Cinematography

• "Cold War," Lukasz Zal
• "The Favourite," Robbie Ryan
• "Never Look Away," Caleb Deschanel
• "Roma," Alfonso Cuaron
• "A Star Is Born," Matthew Libatique

Best Visual Effects

• "Avengers: Infinity War," Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick
• "Christopher Robin," Christopher Lawrence, Michael Eames, Theo Jones and Chris Corbould
• "First Man," Paul Lambert Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm
• "Ready Player One," Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler and David Shirk
• "Solo: A Star Wars Story," Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Dominic Tuohy

Best Production Design

• "Black Panther," Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Jay Hart
• "The Favourite," Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
• "First Man," Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
• "Mary Poppins Returns," Production Design: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
• "Roma," Production Design: Eugenio Caballero; Set Decoration: Barbara Enriquez

Best Film Editing

• "BlacKkKlansman," Barry Alexander Brown
• "Bohemian Rhapsody," John Ottman
• "The Favourite," Yorgos Mavropsaridis
• "Green Book," Patrick J. Don Vito
• "Vice," Hank Corwin

Best Original Score

• "Black Panther," Ludwig Goransson
• "BlacKkKlansman," Terence Blanchard
• "If Beale Street Could Talk," Nicholas Britell
• "Isle of Dogs," Alexandre Desplat
• "Mary Poppins Returns," Marc Shaiman

Best Costume Design

• "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," Mary Zophres
• "Black Panther," Ruth Carter
• "The Favourite," Sandy Powell
• "Mary Poppins Returns," Sandy Powell
• "Mary Queen of Scots," Alexandra Byrne

Best Makeup and Hair Styling

• "Border," Goran Lundstrom and Pamela Goldammer
• "Mary Queen of Scots," Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks
• "Vice," Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney

Best Sound Editing

• "First Man," Ai-Ling Lee and MIldred Iatrou Morgan
• "A Quiet Place," Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
• "Black Panther," Benjamin A. Burtt and Steve Boeddeker
• "Bohemian Rhapsody," John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone
• "Roma," Sergio Diaz and Skip Lievsay

Best Sound Mixing

• "A Star Is Born," Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupanicic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow
• "Black Panther," Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin
• "Bohemian Rhapsody," Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali
• "First Man," Jon Taylor, Frank A Montano, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis
• "Roma," Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and Jose Antonio Garcia

Best Live Action Short Film

• "Detainment," Vincent Lambe and Darren Mahon
• "Fauve," Jeremy Comte and Maria Gracia Turgeon
• "Marguerite," Marianne Farley and Marie-Helene Panisset
• "Mother," Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Maria del Puy Alvarado
• "Skin," Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman

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City News Service contributed to this report.