Every awards show is different, but all invite a common debate. Is it okay to be perfectly predictable?
On the one hand, upsets and shockers create more compelling television. Whether it was “Modern Family” winning this year’s Emmy for Outstanding Comedy or Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” claiming the Grammy for Record of the Year, many ceremonies’ key announcements are so predictable that watching the proceedings seems unnecessary.
By the same token, award reveals become predictable for a reason. If something is so vastly superior–or at least so vastly buzzed about–that it seems like the obvious winner, does it not deserve to win? Why should an awards show honor an inferior show, record or film just because doing so would be considered more exciting?
Those voting on the annual Academy Awards focused on the latter question. All of the night’s key awards went to the obvious, odds-on favorites.
The full Oscar results follow:
Best Picture: “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club”)
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”)
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club”)
Best Supporting Actres: Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”)
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity”)
Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze (“Her”)
Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley (“12 Years a Slave”)
Best Animated Film: “Frozen”
Best Foreign Language Film: “The Great Beauty” (Italy)
Best Original Song: “Let it Go” (“Frozen”)
Best Original Score: “Gravity”
Best Production Design: Catherine Martin (Production Design); Beverley Dunn (Set Decoration), (“The Great Gatsby”)
Best Film Editing: Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger (“Gravity”)
Best Sound Editing: Glenn Freemantle (“Gravity”)
Best Sound Mixing: Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead and Chris Munro (“Gravity”)
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (“Gravity”)
Best Visual Effects: Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk and Neil Corbould (“Gravity”)
Best Documentary: “20 Feet from Stardom”
Best Documentary Short: “The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life”
Best Live Action Short: “Helium”
Best Animated Short: “Mr. Hublot”
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews (“Dallas Buyers Club”)
Best Costume Design: Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby”)
