Netflix had an outsized presence at the 2019 Oscars despite their unconventional way of distributing films.(image Courtesy of Vulture.com)

The 2019 Oscars or Academy Awards were like no other. There was a superhero film up for Best Picture and a superhero film actually won for Best Animated Feature. Among top films to come away a winner this year was an Alfonso Curaón film named Roma. It scored an industry first in that despite the fact that it was available for viewers to stream on Netflix even as it was still playing in theaters, Roma was not only a serious contender for competitive awards like Best Director and Best Picture, it actually won three of the four awards it was nominated for.

The 91st Annual Academy Awards ceremony was broadcasted live on ABC on Sunday night, February 24, 2018, from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA, this year purposely without a host (and truthfully, it worked beautifully).

Check out the list of all the winners from Oscars 2019, along with several highlights from this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, most of which have accompanying videos.

Saying the road to the 91st Academy Annual Awards has been a rocky one would be the understatement of a lifetime. Controversy after controversy and bad decision after worse decision has made a mess of this year’s Oscars. It started with the announcement that the Academy was considering new categories for Best Popular Film. That was met with disdain from the public who saw this as a cheap attempt to get MCU fans to watch the Oscars and boost ratings. Things spiraled from there. Kevin Hart was announced and then retracted as Oscar host, leaving the show hostless. Then just a week ago, the Academy announced that four major awards wouldn’t make the live broadcast, including those for editing and cinematography. The universal backlash led the Academy to cave on that decision as well. Everything the Academy has done in an attempt to boost the dwindling ratings has backfired and alienated the people who actually still watch the awards show.

All this could have been for naught in a what I thought was a tremendous year for movies, but the Academy nominated a safe and underwhelming field of Best Picture nominees. In a year where exciting new and original filmmakers delved deep into a smorgasbord of issues, the Academy tried to placate the viewers with a satisfying yet overall unimpressive Top 8. I’ve seen all eight films and here is my ranking of the Best Picture Nominees of the year.

It’s amazing how much public outrage towards a bad decision can force an organization like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to reverse it. Last week, the Academy announced that it would present the awards for Cinematography, Editing, Make-Up and Hairstyling, and Live Action Short during commercial breaks instead of during the live broadcast as usual. It was something that did not sit well with anyone, especially those within those respective categories.

Now in a decision that will not surprise anyone, the Academy has decided to award the winners live during the Oscar telecast. More on the report here below.

So after the Academy resolved the Kevin Hart hosting debacle for the upcoming 91st Annual Academy Awards ceremony and the singing of only two Best Original Songs, they’ve managed to find themselves still mixed in controversy. With the annual awards show just 13 days away, the organization has announced that they will be presenting four Academy Awards during commercial breaks instead of during the live broadcast. So for those DPs out there who love Cinematography or those who love Editing, or those who enjoy Film Shorts, or those who create unique looks for characters with Makeup and Hairstyling, well, you won’t be seeing those awards being presented live because those are the four categories being given out during commercial breaks. More on the report here below.