Birdman earns best picture, director

On February 22, 2015, Neil Patrick Harris hosted the 87th annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. As the ceremony is known for its glitz and glamour, countless talented actors donned their best attire and headed to the theatre in hopes of winning one of the coveted Oscar awards.

While the talent of the nominees is definitely one of the cornerstones of the event, the fashion they choose to wear holds a great significance as well. Supporting actress nominee Emma Stone made it to the top of the best-dressed list by wearing a beaded chartreuse Haute Couture gown by Elie Saab. Fellow nominee Reese Witherspoon, wore a simplistic but striking white and black drop-shoulder dress by Tom Ford. Although she wasn’t nominated this year, last year’s winner for best supporting actress, Lupita Nyong’o stole the show with her pearl-encrusted Calvin Klein gown. The backless pearl dress has a reported value of $150,000.

As the dazzling actors and celebrities made their way into the theatre, everyone was on the edge of their seats. Despite the countless so-called celebrities that constantly make headlines nowadays, the Academy Awards is a monumental opportunity in the world of acting that rewards true stars with talent. Winning an Oscar is an unparalleled achievement. Once actors have received such a distinguished honor, a vast window of possibilities opens up for them and their careers are forever changed. This was seen in last year’s winner for best actress, Lupita N’yongo. After her captivating role in Twelve Years a Slave was recognized, the breakout star went on to grace the covers of both Vogue and Lucky Magazine.

Several films managed to steal the show, as they were nominated in nearly every category. Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, American Sniper, Wild, Still Alice, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Boyhood, and Whiplash were among the night’s most celebrated films. After exhilarating performances and captivating speeches, the winners of the 87th annual Academy Awards were revealed.

Birdman won the Oscar for best picture; Eddie Redmayne took home the Oscar for best actor for his role as Steven Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Julianne Moore won the Oscar for best actress for her honest portrayal of Alice in Still Alice. As for supporting roles, J.K. Simmons won the award for best actor, and Patricia Arquette for best actress.

The ceremony came to a close with quite a groundbreaking moment as Alejandro G. Iñárritu, director of Birdman and a Mexican immigrant, won the Oscar for best director. He changed the pace of the event by leaving the audience members with a call to action:

“I want to dedicate this award for my fellow Mexicans, the ones who live in Mexico. I pray that we can find and build the government that we deserve. And the ones living in this country who are part of the latest generation of immigrants in this country, I just pray that they can be treated with the same dignity and respect as the ones who came before and built this incredible immigrant nation.”

Beneath the glamour of this year’s high-profile Hollywood event lies one important message that will continue to empower individuals across the globe.