The 93rd Academy Awards aired Sunday night on ABC, capping off a year in film that produced an impeccable class of nominees despite their relatively low penetration into the cultural consciousness. No film unambiguously swept the Awards, though the biggest winner of the night was “Nomadland,” taking home trophies for best picture, best director and best actress.
The ceremony, produced by Steven Soderbergh, was a smaller, more intimate celebration than usual, focusing on the nominees’ personal stories rather than on the work they produced this year. The show kicked off with an “Ocean’s Eleven”-esque tracking shot that saw Regina King walk through Los Angeles Union Station, where this year’s ceremony was held to accommodate COVID-19 safety measures. Arriving on stage, King introduced the show by explaining that this year’s ceremony will strive to present itself as a movie — to aid in this effort, all nominees and presenters appeared maskless on camera, and the broadcast was cropped to cinematic widescreen.