The Academy Awards is arguably the largest awards show of the year. Every year, the Oscars spark conversation, showcase talent and create several memorable moments. From live performances to deserving wins, here are seven of the best moments from the 92nd Academy Awards:
“Into The Unknown” diverse performance
Frozen 2 was undoubtedly one of the biggest films of the year, and even those who didn’t see it probably heard the film’s most famous song, “Into The Unknown.” Though the song was nominated for Best Original Song and didn’t win it, that was pretty much all Frozen 2 was nominated for.
However, Idina Menzel made sure the film and song were represented with a fantastic performance featuring not only Aurora, but also the other women who voice Elsa in 10 other languages. The performance was really representative of other cultures, languages and the hard work of people who dub American films in other languages.
Homage to iconic songs in films
Music can completely change the feeling of a film. The Academy Awards took a moment to recognize some of the most iconic songs that made films memorable. The bit included, but was not limited to, The Breakfast Club with “Don’t You Forget About Me,” Rocky with “Gonna Fly Now” and 8 Mile with “Lose Yourself.”
The homage to these great songs led into a live performance from Eminem, who rapped “Lose Yourself” for the audience. Though the performance was pretty odd for the Oscars — even though it got the first standing ovation of the night—the homage was very worthy and heartwarming to watch.
Cynthia Erivo’s performance of “Stand Up”
Though there were plenty of powerful and gripping performances from the 2020 Oscars, Cynthia Erivo’s performance of “Stand Up” was incredibly gut-wrenching. With the voice of an angel and all of the conviction of the character she portrayed in Harriet, Erivo and her choir of background singers brought one of the most memorable Oscars performances of all time. It was more than deserving of its standing ovation.
Hildur Guonadottir’s Best Original Score win
Joker’s composer, Hildur Guonadottir, won for Best Original Score, and it was so well-deserved. She is only the third female composer to win in all 92 years of the Academy Awards, and she is the first woman to win the award since 1997.
It was impossible for her to contain her joy as she took the stage and encouraged women and young girls everywhere to follow their dreams as musicians and to proudly tell their stories. It was empowering, especially in a nomination season with hardly any women.
Billie Eilish’s In Memoriam performance
Billie Eilish has been racking in statues at award shows, but the Oscars is not one of them. However, she was invited to sing the In Memoriam performance, where she covered “Yesterday” by The Beatles. The In Memoriam celebration was beautiful, and Eilish’s vocals scored it perfectly.
Bong Joon-ho… the entire evening
Bong Joon-ho created the ultimate masterpiece in Parasite, and his efforts were certainly recognized tonight. After he received several standing ovations as he was given the award for Best Director and Best International Feature, he certainly had his hands full with Oscars.
Though his repeated remarks of drinking the night away made the audience laugh, his humble nature truly made everyone emotional. He praised Martin Scorcese, thanked Quentin Tarantino for always being an advocate for his films and was beyond happy to be recognized at the award show. Bong Joon-ho is the ultimate icon, and it was amazing to see him emerge victorious from the Oscars.
Parasite wins Best Picture
The best award of the evening was Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite winning Best Picture. It is truly one of the most incredible films not only of the year, but also of all time. The mastery was recognized and made history with a whopping six nominations at the Academy Awards.
As the entire cast and crew took the stage, they gave their speeches, and when they were cut off, the entire audience yelled and cheered until the lights came back up for them to finish talking. It’s phenomenal to see this amazing group of South Korean filmmakers and actors receiving mainstream recognition for their work, and the award was by far the most rewarding of the night.
