‘Spotlight’ & ‘Mad Max’ share glory at 88th Annual Academy Awards

“Spotlight” won the Best Picture Oscar at the 88th Academy Awards, while “Mad Max: Fury Road" took home most of the art and technical awards of the night. The 88th Academy Awards was held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, California. Hosted by comedian Chris Rock, the Oscars was televised live by the ABC Television Network.

"Spotlight" won two Oscars, but two of the best categories, that for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. "Mad Max: Fury Road" was almost unstoppable winning a total of six Academy Awards, including winning both sound awards, Best Costumes, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Editing.

In the acting categories, there were a lot of firsts. Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his first Oscar with his brave performance in "The Revenant." Brie Larson won her first Oscar for her turn in the film "Room." Alicia Vikander won her first Oscar for being the supportive wife and friend in "The Danish Girl," and Mark Rylance was a surprise winner for Best Supporting Actor, winning his first Oscar for playing a Soviet spy in "Bridge of Spies."

Of all of the awards the biggest surprise of the night in the non-acting categories was the win of "Ex Machina" for winning the Oscar for the category of Best Visual Effects. Just about every critic expected "Mad Max: Fury Road" to win.

The most emotional moments on the Oscar stage was when Lady Gaga sang her song from"The Hunting Ground," and then took to the stage with other victims of sexual abuse. And when maestro Ennio Morricone won his Oscar for Best Score for "The Hateful Eight," with the Oscar audience giving the composer a standing ovation for the man who has composed over 500 scores for film and television.

Oscar host Chris Rock got right to the subject of diversity in a year when no black actors were nominated. His biggest joke was that regarding Jada Pinkett Smith's boycott of the Oscars. Also featured were a few black actors inserted into this year's nominated films and the clips were hilarious. But the funniest moment of the night was when Rock sent in his plethora of daughters out in the audience to sell Girl Scout cookies that included the total monies made of $65,243 displayed on a large board for the audience. Last year's take was a mere $600. Appears that Rock's daughters may want him to host all of the Oscars.

Complete List of winners at the 88th Academy Awards as follows:

Performance by an actor in a leading role

· Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Revenant”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

· Mark Rylance in “Bridge of Spies”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

· Brie Larson in “Room”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

· Alicia Vikander in “The Danish Girl”

Best animated feature film of the year

· “Inside Out” Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera

Achievement in cinematography

· “The Revenant” Emmanuel Lubezki

Achievement in costume design

· “Mad Max: Fury Road” Jenny Beavan

Achievement in directing

· “The Revenant” Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Best documentary feature

· “Amy” Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees

Best documentary short subject

· “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness” Sharmeen Obaid-

Chinoy

Achievement in film editing

· “Mad Max: Fury Road” Margaret Sixel

Best foreign language film of the year

· “Son of Saul” Hungary

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling

· “The Revenant” Siân Grigg, Duncan Jarman and Robert Pandini

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

· “The Hateful Eight” Ennio Morricone

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

· “Writing’s On The Wall” from “Spectre”

Music and Lyric by Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith

Best motion picture of the year

· “Spotlight” Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin and Blye Pagon Faust, Producers

Achievement in production design

· “Mad Max: Fury Road” Production Design: Colin Gibson; Set Decoration: Lisa Thompson

Best animated short film

· “Bear Story” Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala

Best live action short film

· “Stutterer” Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage

Achievement in sound editing

· “Mad Max: Fury Road” Mark Mangini and David White

Achievement in sound mixing

· “Mad Max: Fury Road” Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo

Achievement in visual effects

· “Ex Machina” Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and

Sara Bennett

Adapted screenplay

· “The Big Short” Screenplay by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay

Original screenplay

· “Spotlight” Written by Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy