This year’s Academy Awards surprised the audience with glass barrier-breaking wins, a little disappointment and even wolf howls. 

Some of the highlights included, “Nomadland” taking home three Oscars. It won Best Picture of the Year, and lead star, Frances McDormand, took the award for best actress. Chloe Zhao, won the Academy Award for best director, making her the second woman to ever win this award. Zhao beat out nominees Lee Isaac Chung for “Minari,” Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman,” David Fincher for “Mank” and Thomas Vinterberg for “Another Round.” This also makes her the first Asian and woman of color to win the best director award in the history of the Oscars. 

Even though many expected late Chadwick Boseman to with the Academy Award for best actor, the audience was surprised when the Oscar was awarded to Anthony Hopkins for his performance in “The Father.” Boseman was the first posthumous black actor to receive a nomination for an Oscar. His “Black Panther” co-star, Angela Basset, shared before the awards show began how she missed his “great spirit.”

Making Oscars history, Mia Neil and Jamika Wilson were the first black women to be nominated and win the award for best makeup and hairstyling for their work in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” 

The Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was presented to Tyler Perry in recognition of his charity acts. During his acceptance speech, he told the story of how he offered a homeless woman money, and she asked for a pair of shoes instead. He recited how the woman said “Thank you, Jesus, my feet are off the ground,” and dedicated the award to everyone willing to join forces and refuse hate to help lift someone’s feet off the ground. 

Another milestone for Asian women in Oscars history went to Yuh-Jung Youn, who won the best-supporting actress award for her performance in “Minari,” making her the first Korean actress to win the award. The 73-year-old gave a very touching acceptance speech filled with humility and gratefulness to her Minari family and the director of the film, Lee Isaac Chung. 

The highlights are not ever complete without acknowledging the stunning looks on the red carpet. Regina King stood out wearing a jaw-dropping Louis Vuitton dress that took over 140 working hours to make, complete with 62,000 sequins, 3,900 pale sparkling stones, 4,500 in darker tones and 80 meters of chain stitching. Amanda Seyfried, nominated for best actress, did not stay behind in her Armani Prive red dress, designed by Giorgio Armani himself. She continued her usual Old Hollywood red carpet style and looked extraordinary for the event.