Irish stars won big last night at the Academy Awards with Brie Larson picking up the Best Actress award for “Room” from the novel by Emma Donohue from Dublin, and “Stutterer” grabbing the Best Live Action Short. After six previous nominations Leonardo DiCaprio took home an Oscar as Best Actor in “The Revenant,” while “Mad Max” won big with six awards.
Accepting her award for “Room” Larson praised director Lenny Abrahamson describing him as “absolutely incredible.” She also paid tribute to Emma Donohue, author of the novel, who lost out at the Academy Awards having been nominated for best screenplay.
"Brooklyn" Ireland's hot tipped favorite lost out last night with Saoirse Ronan failling to pick up the Best Actress gong and Nick Hornby also missing out on the Best Screenplay award.
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Benjamin Cleary, directory of “Stutterer” said, accepting the award for Best Live Action Short, he said “Every day is a proud day to be Irish, but today even more so...Sláinte!"
“Mad Max: Fury Road” – starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron - triumphed with six awards at the annual glitzy ceremony in the technical categories including Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Costume Design.Speaking to accept the gong for Best Film Editing, Margaret Sixel, the wife of director George Miller, said "Thank you so much to the Academy. “Mad Max” was best reviewed film of 2015. Audiences loved it and to be honored tonight is just more than we ever hoped for.
"It took enormous creative courage and guts to make this film so I just want to say thanks to George Miller, Doug Mitchell and the whole crew that did six months in the Namibian desert to bring back the most amazing footage."
Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees took home an Academy Award for their documentary about the late Amy Winehouse whilst Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes scored the Best Original Song award for the latest Bond theme tune, 'Writing's On The Wall'.
Another big winner of the night was “Spotlight,” which picked up the coveted Best Picture award, as well as the gong for Best Original Screenplay, and “The Revenant” - including a first Oscar for its star, Leonardo DiCaprio.
The 41-year-old actor was honored with the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role gong - after a number of previously unsuccessful attempts - for his work on 'The Revenant' and spoke about the importance of "working collectively together" to stop the "most urgent threat facing our entire species".
He said: "I just want to say this. Making ‘The Revenant’ was about man's relationship to the natural world. A world that we collectively felt in 2015 as the hottest year in recorded history. Our production needed to move to the southern tip of this planet just to be able to find snow.
"Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating. We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people out there who would be most affected by this.
"For our children’s children, and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed. I thank you all for this amazing award tonight. Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted."
The 'Titanic' star also thanked his co-star Tom Hardy as well as his parents and friends.
Taking to the stage, he gushed: "Thank you all so very much. Thank you to the Academy, thank you to all of you in this room. I have to congratulate the other incredible nominees this year.
"'The Revenant' was the product of the tireless efforts of an unbelievable cast and crew. First off, to my brother in this endeavor, Mr. Tom Hardy. Tom, your talent on screen can only be surpassed by your friendship off screen ... thank you for creating a transcendent cinematic experience ...
"I have to thank everyone from the very onset of my career ... To my parents, none of this would be possible without you. And to my friends, I love you dearly, you know who you are."
Read more: Irish people watch famous Oscars speeches and their reactions are priceless
Meanwhile, host Chris Rock openly addressed diversity in the film industry in his opening monologue at the event, telling the gathered crowd that Hollywood is racist but not the "burning cross [type of] racist".
He said: "Is Hollywood racist? You’re damn right Hollywood’s racist [but not] burning cross racist ... it’s a different type of racist ... We want opportunity - give black actors the same opportunities as white actors. That’s it. Leo [DiCaprio] gets a great part every year. What about Jamie Foxx?"
However, Chris also poked fun at the likes of Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, who had chosen to boycott the event over the lack of diversity.
Leaving the audience roaring with laughter, he joked: "Jada got mad, she said she’s not coming. Doesn’t she have a TV show? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties - I wasn’t invited!
"You get mad that Will was this good and didn’t get nominated [for his role in 'Concussion']. It’s also not fair that Will was paid $20m to do 'Wild Wild West.'"
Full list of winners at the 88th Academy Awards:
Best Picture: Spotlight
Actor in a Lead Role: Leonardo DiCaprio, 'The Revenant'
Actress in a Lead Role: Brie Larson, 'Room'
Directing: Alejandro González Iñárritu, 'The Revenant'
Original Score: Ennio Morricone, 'The Hateful Eight'
Original Song: 'Writings on the Wall', 'Spectre', Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith
Best Foreign Language Film: Hungary, 'Son of Saul'
Live Action Short Film: 'Stutterer', Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage
Documentary Feature: 'Amy', Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees
Documentary Short Subject: 'A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness', Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Actor in a Supporting Role: 'Mark Rylance', Bridge of Spies
Animated Feature Film: 'Inside Out', Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera
Animated Short Film: 'Bear Story', Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala
Visual Effects: 'Ex Machina', Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett
Sound Mixing: 'Mad Max: Fury Road', Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo
Sound Editing: 'Mad Max: Fury Road', Mark Mangini and David White
Film Editing: 'Mad Max: Fury Road', Margaret Sixel
Cinematography: 'The Revenant', Emmanuel Lubezki
Makeup and Hairstyling: 'Mad Max: Fury Road', Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin
Production Design: 'Mad Max: Fury Road', Production Design: Colin Gibson; Set Decoration: Lisa Thompson
Costume Design: 'Mad Max: Fury Road', Jenny Beavan
Actress in a Supporting Role: Alicia Vikander, 'The Danish Girl'
Best Adapted Screenplay: 'The Big Short', Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Original Screenplay: 'Spotlight', Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Debbie Reynolds
Honorary Oscar: Spike Lee
Honorary Oscar: Gena Rowlands
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