鈥淥ppenheimer,鈥� a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan.

After passing over arguably Hollywood鈥檚 foremost big-screen auteur for years, the Oscars made up for lost time by heaping seven awards on , including best actor for , best supporting actor for and .

In anointing 鈥淥ppenheimer,鈥� the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences did something it hasn鈥檛 done for more than a decade: . In a film industry where a cape, dinosaur or Tom Cruise has often been a requirement for such box office, 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� brought droves of moviegoers to theaters with a complex, fission-filled drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb.

To close out the night, the Academy Award for Best Picture goes to... 'Oppenheimer'!

鈥� The Academy (@TheAcademy)

鈥淔or better or worse, we鈥檙e all living in Robert Oppenheimer鈥檚 world,鈥� said Murphy in his acceptance speech. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to dedicate this to the peacemakers.鈥�

As a film heavy with unease for human capacity for mass destruction, 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� also emerged 鈥� even over its partner in cultural phenomenon, 鈥淏arbie鈥� 鈥� as a fittingly foreboding film for times rife with cataclysm, man-made or not. Sunday鈥檚 Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles unfolded against the backdrop of and , and with a potentially momentous U.S. election on the horizon.

The most closely watched contest of the went to Emma Stone, who won best best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in 鈥淧oor Things.鈥� In what was seen as the night鈥檚 most nail-biting category, Stone won over of 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon.鈥� Gladstone would have become the first Native American to win an Academy Award.

Instead, Oscar voters couldn鈥檛 resist the full-bodied extremes of Stone鈥檚 鈥淧oor Things鈥� performance. The win for Stone, her second best actress Oscar following her 2017 win for 鈥淟a La Land,鈥� confirmed the 35-year-old as arguably the preeminent big-screen actress of her generation. The list of women to win best actress two or more times is illustrious, including Katharine Hepburn, Frances McDormand, Ingrid Bergman and Bette Davis.

鈥淥h, boy, this is really overwhelming,鈥� said Stone, who fought back tears and a broken dress during her speech.

Sunday鈥檚 broadcast had razzle dazzle, including a sprawling song-and-dance rendition of the by Ryan Gosling, with an assist on guitar by Slash and a sea of Kens who swarmed the stage.

But protest and politics intruded on an election-year , where demonstrations for Gaza raged outside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Late during the show, host Jimmy Kimmel read a critical social media post from former president Donald Trump.

鈥淭hank you for watching,鈥� said Kimmel. 鈥淚sn鈥檛 it past your jail time?鈥�

Nolan has had many movies in the Oscar mix before, including 鈥淚nception,鈥� 鈥淒unkirk鈥� and 鈥淭he Dark Knight.鈥� But his win Sunday for direction is the . Addressing the crowd, Nolan noted cinema is just over a hundred years old.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 know where this incredible journey is going from here,鈥� said Nolan. 鈥淏ut to think that I鈥檓 a meaningful part of it means the world to me.鈥�

Downey, nominated twice before (for 鈥淐haplin鈥� and 鈥淭ropic Thunder鈥�), also notched his first Oscar, crowning the illustrious second act of his up-and-down career.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to thank my terrible childhood and the academy, in that order,鈥� said Downey,

鈥淏arbie,鈥� last year鈥檚 biggest box-office hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, ultimately won just one award: best song (sorry, Ken) for Billie Eilish and Finneas鈥� 鈥淲hat Was I Made For?鈥� It鈥檚 their second Oscar, two years after winning for their James Bond theme, 鈥淣o Time to Die.鈥�

But after an awards season that stayed largely inside a Hollywood bubble, geopolitics played a prominent role. Protests over Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza snarled traffic around the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, slowing stars鈥� arrival on the red carpet and turning the Oscar spotlight toward the . Some protesters shouted 鈥淪hame!鈥� at those trying to reach the awards.

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Jonathan Glazer, the British filmmaker whose won best international film, drew connections between the dehumanization depicted in his film and today.

鈥淩ight now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel, or the the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this dehumanization, how do we resist?鈥�

The war in Gaza was on the minds of many attendees, as was the war in Ukraine. A year after 鈥淣avalny鈥� won the same award, Mstyslav Chernov鈥檚 a harrowing chronicle of the early days of Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, won best documentary. The win, a first for The Associated Press and PBS鈥� 鈥淔rontline,鈥� came as the war in Ukraine passed the two-year mark with no signs of abating.

Mstyslav Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist , spoke forcefully about Russia鈥檚 invasion.

鈥淭his is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history,鈥� said Chernov. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 honored. Probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I鈥檇 never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this (for) Russia never attacking Ukraine.鈥�

In the early going, Yorgos Lanthimos鈥� Frankenstein-riff 鈥淧oor Things鈥� ran away with three prizes for including awards for production design, makeup and hairstyling and costume design.

Kimmel, hosting the ABC telecast for the fourth time, opened the awards with an monologue that emphasized Hollywood as 鈥渁 union town鈥� following 2023鈥檚 , drew a standing ovation for bringing out teamsters and behind-the-scenes workers 鈥� who are now entering their own labor negotiations.

The night鈥檚 first award was one of its most predictable: , for her performance in Alexander Payne鈥檚 鈥淭he Holdovers.鈥� An emotional Randolph was accompanied to the stage by her 鈥淗oldovers鈥� co-star Paul Giamatti.

鈥淔or so long I鈥檝e always wanted to be different,鈥� said Randolph. 鈥淎nd now I realize I just need to be myself.鈥�

Though Randolph鈥檚 win was widely expected, an upset quickly followed. Hayao Miyazaki鈥檚 鈥淭he Boy and the Heron鈥� , a surprise over the slightly favored 鈥淪pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.鈥� Miyazaki, the 83-year-old Japanese anime master who came out of retirement to make 鈥淭he Boy and the Heron,鈥� didn鈥檛 attend the ceremony. He also didn鈥檛 attend the 2003 Oscars when his 鈥淪pirited Away鈥� won the same award.

Best original screenplay went to 鈥淎natomy of a Fall,鈥� which, like 鈥淏arbie,鈥� was penned by a couple: director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. 鈥淭his will help me through my midlife crisis, I think,鈥� said Triet.

In adapted screenplay, where 鈥淏arbie鈥� was nominated 鈥� and where some suspected Greta Gerwig would win after being overlooked for director 鈥� the Oscar went to , who wrote and directed his feature film debut 鈥淎merican Fiction.鈥� He pleaded for executives to take risks on young filmmakers like himself.

鈥淚nstead of making a $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies,鈥� said Jefferson, previously an award-winning TV writer.

The Oscars belonged largely to theatrical-first films. Though it came into the awards with 19 nominations, Netflix was a bit player. Its lone win came for live action short: Wes Anderson鈥檚 鈥淭he Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,鈥� based on the story by Roald Dahl.

Historically, having big movies in the mix for the Oscars鈥� top awards has been good for broadcast ratings. The Academy Awards鈥� largest audience ever came when James Cameron鈥檚 鈥淭itanic鈥� swept the 1998 Oscars.

___

AP鈥檚 Ryan Pearson and Krysta Fauria contributed to this report

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press