Not Giving Up

Though Best Adapted Screenplay could have gone to any one of the nominees, prevailing wisdom predicted a win for James Ivory, who, at 89, has been nominated for an Oscar multiple times, but never brought home the statue. This time he finally got the gold for Call Me By Your Name.

Though all the nominees for Best Cinematography were superb, Roger Deakins' Blade Runner 2049 seemed to have an edge from the beginning. Deakins has been recognized with 13 Oscar nominations but no wins. This was finally his year when Blade Runner 2049 took home the gold.

Original Screenplay was another race that was neck-and-neck, where a surprise win could be in the cards. Asian-centric bio-pic, The Big Sick, won Best First Screenplay at the Spirit Awards last night, as did Lady Bird for Best Screenplay, but many predicted 3 Bills was the one to beat after nabbing the Golden Globes trophy.

All were shut out by a surprising win by Jordan Peele's Get Out, making history as the first African American to win this award.

When he took to the press stage, Peele was confronted by a sea of reporters holding numbered signs (corresponding with their seats). He quipped, "I feel like I'm about to be auctioned!"

He went on saying that "I must have given up on this project at least 20 times, believing I could never get a film like this made. This award is a testament to not giving up."

For Best Animated Film, Coco was born again with a gold statuette after years of intense creative endeavor by Lee Unkrich and his team at Pixar.

Unkrich told Xinhua that "This is the culmination of six years of our lives. But it was worth it to bring such an authentic story that is genuinely respectful of Mexican culture to the screen."

Five NBA championships, 18-time All-Star and first-time Oscar nominee, Kobe Bryant rushed the basket and scored big with Dear Basketball, winning the Best Animated Short Film category along with fellow filmmaker, Glen Keane.

"Honestly, this means more to me than the NBA Championship," Bryant confessed with a grin.