The 94th Academy Awards: Winners, Moments, and What It Meant for Cinema

The 94th Academy Awards were held on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, honoring films released in 2021 and marking a moment of renewed energy as cinemas reopened after the pandemic’s darkest days. Award season that year brought a mix of heartfelt achievements and unexpected moments, underscoring how cinema continues to evolve, resonate, and surprise us. 

That night, CODA made history by winning Best Picture, becoming the first film distributed primarily through streaming to take the Academy’s top honor.  Will Smith took home Best Actor for his performance in King Richard, an emotionally grounded portrayal of a father fiercely devoted to his daughters’ tennis careers.  Jessica Chastain earned Best Actress for her transformative work in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, a role that demanded vulnerability, intensity, and deep empathy.

In the supporting categories, CODA continued its strong showing with Troy Kotsur winning Best Supporting Actor, becoming the second deaf performer to win an Oscar and broadening the conversation around representation in film.  Ariana DeBose captured Best Supporting Actress for her electric, lively performance in West Side Story, reconnecting the musical with contemporary audiences.  

Behind the camera, Jane Campion won Best Director for The Power of the Dog, reaffirming her voice as one of cinema’s most compelling and precise filmmakers.  Dune dominated the technical categories, taking home multiple Oscars including Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects, a testament to its immersive world-building and sensory excellence.

Elsewhere, Drive My Car won Best International Feature Film, Encanto was named Best Animated Feature, Summer of Soul took Best Documentary Feature, and Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell won Best Original Song for “No Time To Die,” showing how music and storytelling intersect in powerful ways.

Also read: Daftar Nominasi Oscars 2022

The 2022 Oscars were notable not just for the winners themselves, but for what they reflected: a moment of transition in global cinema, where streaming and traditional theatrical releases shared the spotlight, and performances that captured personal, cultural, and emotional depth were celebrated on the world’s biggest stage.