There were many things different about the 2019 Oscars ceremony from past years. For one, there wasn't a host—a divisive choice after Kevin Hart stepped down from the gig following the controversy around his past homophobic tweets. On the awards front, there weren't a lot of clear front-runners, which meant most people watched the show not knowing what to expect.
But I'm relieved to say the Academy pulled off the 2019 Oscars with only a few minor hiccups. All the Best Original Song performances were stunning; the speeches were poignant; and the fashion was next-level good. Also, Lady Gaga was there. What more could you ask for, really?
Below, check out the highlights from this year's Oscars ceremony.
Adam Lambert and Queen's opening performance: "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" received sparkling treatments—and the audience was clearly very into it.
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Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Tina Fey graced us with their presence: They were the first three celebrity presenters of the evening. Naturally, Twitter is already campaigning for them to host next year's show.
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Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry presenting Best Costume Design in the most elaborate costumes: The commitment! The excellence!
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The awards-presenter pairing of Helen Mirren and Jason Momoa: I didn't know I needed this.
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History was made in the behind-the-scenes categories: Hannah Beachler and Ruth E. Carter became the first black women to win Best Production Design and Best Costume design, respectively.
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Jennifer Hudson's powerful performance of "I'll Fight" from the documentary RBG: The tune was nominated for Best Original Song—and if it's even possible, Hudson outdid herself with this live performance. I'm still crying.
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Bette Midler tackling "Where the Lost Things Go" from Mary Poppins Returns: Emily Blunt couldn't attend tonight's show, so Midler stepped in, beautifully, to belt this Best Original Song nominee.
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Regina King's moving acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress: She won for If Beale Street Could Talk. “Mom, I love you so much," King said as her mother teared up in the audience. "Thank you for teaching me that God is always leaning, always has been leaning, in my direction."
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Awkwafina and John Mulaney presenting Best Animated Short Film and Best Documentary Short: Um, why haven't they gone on a joint comedy tour yet?
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Period. End of Sentence. winning the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject: "I can't believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar," director Rayka Zehtabchi said.
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's performance of "Shallow": This really sent me off the deep end.
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Gaga's acceptance speech for Best Original Song: "If you have a dream, fight for it," Mother Monster said, holding back tears. (She won for "Shallow," the flagship tune from her and Bradley Cooper's movie A Star Is Born.) "I've worked hard for a long time, and it's not about winning…. It's about how many times you stand up and are brave and keep on going."
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Barbra Streisand and Spike Lee's friendship moment: Streisand introduced BlacKkKlansman and talked about all the things she and Lee have in common. They're both from Brooklyn! And love hats! Lee was living for Streisand's speech too. And just like that an Internet "squad goal" was born.
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Olivia Colman's acceptance speech for Best Actress: Glenn Close was the favorite (pun intended) to win, so Colman was visibly shocked when her name was called. She cracked so many jokes throughout it, and literally ended her speech with "Lady Gaga." (Gaga was also nominated for Best Actress.) That's the best way to wrap up a speech, in my opinion.
