People Of Color Take Home A Fourth Of The Oscars

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The 94th Annual Academy Awards took place on March 28, 2022. Performances by hosts Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes were well-received and a dramatic event occurred when actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face. In total, people of color took home six Academy Awards for the night. Check out all the POC winners below.

Best Actor: Will Smith, King Richard

Will Smith took home the best actor award for his performance as Richard Williams, the brazen father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Will Smith teared up during his speech where he thanked the support of the Williams family, apologized to the audience and the Academy for his previous violent action against Chris Rock, and stated his belief in being a protector to the people he loves and a river to guide his people.

Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Debose, West Side Story

Broadway favorite Ariana Debose won the Oscar for supporting actress for her portrayal of Anita in West Side Story. She wowed audiences around the world with her reinterpretation and stunning musical performance. Ariana DeBose closed out her acceptance speech by showing empathy and giving encouragement to those struggling with their own identity.

Best International Feature Film: Drive My Car

Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi was honored with the award for best international feature film for his emotional epic Drive My Car. While speaking in English during most of his speech, Ryusuke expresses his gratitude to the Academy and his audience. He closes his speech by praising the Oscar statuette and saying to his film team, “We got it.”

Best Animated Feature Film: Encanto

Encanto, the Disney animated film inspired by Colombian culture, won best animated feature film at the Academy Awards. This announcement came as no surprise to fans due to the explosion of popularity the film received after its release on Disney+. The film’s win also made history since one of the film's producers, Yvett Merino, became the first Latina to win an Oscar for an animated feature.

Best Documentary Feature: Summer of Soul

Director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson snagged the best documentary feature award for his directorial debut documentary Summer of Soul. The documentary celebrates Black history, culture, music, and fashion by following the events of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Questlove graciously accepted the award in an emotional speech that nearly caused him to tear up.

Best Live Action Short Film: The Long Goodbye

The Long Goodbye, an emotionally gripping story of an immigrant family in Britain thrown into chaos, won the Academy Award for best live action short film. In his acceptance speech, actor Riz Ahmed stresses the unity of humanity despite the dividing times the world lives in now. He claims that The Long Goodbye reminds the world that we are all the same—there is no “them,” only “us.”