Veronica Glover 

Senior Staff Writer 

Photo credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented this year’s Oscars ceremony on March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The night was full of surprises and many heart-wrenching and insightful moments. The network moved the ceremony to 7 p.m. EDT from its usual 8 p.m. The 2024 Oscars reached its highest ratings in viewership in four years and its third consecutive year of an increasing audience. A Nielsen streaming report revealed that the Oscars was the most-watched network awards show since February 2020. The telecast of the awards ceremony drew in an estimated 19.5 million viewers, its largest audience ever, up from 18.8 million viewers last year.   

The peak in viewership comes as no surprise since the night consisted of powerful performances, cameo appearances, and cringeworthy moments. However, there had already been a lot of commotion before the ceremony’s commencement. The broadcast did not begin as early as producers had anticipated, starting almost an hour behind schedule due to the protests about Gaza outside the event.  

The pro-Palestinian demonstration, just south of the Dolby Theater, called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Among the activists were organizations such as Film Workers for Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace Los Angeles, Adalah Justice Project, and SAG-AFTRA Members for Ceasefire. The organizations rallied at the Cinerama Dome around 1 p.m. PDT and marched through Hollywood just before the ceremony began.   

According to Vulture, the protesters proclaimed, “We will not be distracted by the entertainment industry. We WILL continue to call for a permanent ceasefire and Palestinian liberation” in a joint Instagram post on March 9, a day before the ceremony. Protestors marched on Highland Avenue, stopping cars arriving at the event and shaming attendees as they walked down the sidewalk heading to the theater. Additionally, some of the protesters even made it past police barricades to get closer to the ceremony and stand on the corner of Hollywood and Highland. The marchers with megaphones chanted, “While you’re watching, bombs are dropping,” and “Stop the killing, stop the slaughter. Gaza has no food and water.” Around 50 to 100 demonstrators were present, with Bethy Squires posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, that there was “about a 1:1 ratio of cops to demonstrators at the Oscars”.   

In light of that, a handful of actors, actresses, and other A-listers who attended the awards ceremony wore Artists for Ceasefire pins. These attendees included Billie Eilish and her older brother Finneas, Ramy Youssef (Poor Things), and Eugene Lee Yang (Nimona). Similarly, Milo Machado-Graner and Swann Arlaud, who starred in Anatomy of a Fall, donned pins of the Palestinian flag. Aside from Eilish supporting the immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel, she also supports women’s rights and humanity. She sported a classic demure skirt ensemble before winning best original song for “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie.  

Regina King’s arrival, wearing an orange designer gown in remembrance of her late son’s favorite color, was another noteworthy red carpet moment. King’s son, Ian, died in January 2022 by suicide shortly after he turned 26. Ian was proudly one of King’s most prominent supporters, as he attended almost every red-carpet event alongside his mother as her plus-one.   

As for the Academy Awards, the ceremony reflected the talent and dedication to cinema that 2023 represented. The industry reclaimed the power of artistry it demonstrated in previous years. Aside from Jimmy Kimmel being a phenomenal four-time host with an enticing opening monologue, the producers and creative team behind the 2024 Oscars displayed their efforts toward progressiveness and connecting with larger audiences. The ceremony reintroduced a formatting idea from the 2009 Oscars by having the five past winners in each of the four acting categories pay tribute to the current nominees before announcing the current year’s winner. At this year’s ceremony, former Best Actress winners Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron, Jessica Lange, and Sally Field came together to present the award for Best Actress, which went to Emma Stone (Poor Things).   

A few other noteworthy moments you may have missed throughout the ceremony included John Cena abruptly appearing behind Jimmy Kimmel on stage—naked. He was entirely bare aside from the presenter’s card, which he held firmly to cover his private area. He then went backstage to greet Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in one of the most brief, wholesome reunions WWE fans could have requested. Beetlejuice actors Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara reunited to present the Best Production Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling awards. The reunion nodded toward the 1988 film’s sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, arriving in theaters September 6.