Denis Villeneuve's science-fiction epic Dune has won four Academy Awards, even if the broadcast hasn't begun yet. The 94th Academy Awards got underway Sunday off-camera, with the first eight awards on the night being handed out at the Dolby Theatre before the ABC telecast started at 8pm Eastern time, the AP reports. The Dolby was largely full in time for the 7pm pre-show, dubbed the “golden hour” by the academy. Presenters Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin announced the winners, whose speeches were to be edited into the broadcast.
But it was a strange and controversial beginning to the first fully in-person Oscars in two years. Earlier this month, more than 70 Oscar winners, including James Cameron, Kathleen Kennedy and Guillermo del Toro, warned that the change would turn some nominees into “second-class citizens.” After record-low ratings in 2021, the academy trimmed the live presentation of eight categories from the broadcast, which will feature edited clips of their wins. The academy also elected not to televise the early awards in the Oscars' press room, where the red carpet pre-show continued to play, even though most stars were by then in their seats. (Most interviews were taped shortly in advance, when the carpet was crowded.)
Dune got out to an early lead, winning for production design, editing, sound, and for Hans Zimmer's score. Though it's not favored in the top awards, Dune—the biggest blockbuster of this year's 10 best-picture nominees—was widely expected to clean up in technical categories. Best makeup and hairstyling went to Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The Queen of Basketball, about the basketball great Lusia Harris, took best short documentary film. Its executive producers include Steph Curry and Shaquille O’Neal. Best animated short went to The Windshield Wiper, while The Long Goodbye, a blistering fictional short starring Riz Ahmed, took best fiction short.
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