BackstageOL.com’s Live Coverage Of The Oscars

Keep up to date with BackstageOL.com, @BackstageOL, and @Fox26Houston with results and reactions to the 89th Academy Awards.

After a photo bomb, Justin Timberlake gets the party started with “Can’t Stop the Feeling” followed by a rendition of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day.” (“Denzel, I know you know this one.” – JT)

Not to get political, but…

“Black people saved NASA and white people saved jazz” – Jimmy Kimmel

The first award for the evening goes to Mahershala Ali for his supporting performance in Moonlight.

“We have no tolerance for fake news.” – Jimmy Kimmel

Well, so much for my clean sweep as Suicide Squad is awarded best achievement in makeup and hairstyling.

Colleen Atwood wins her fourth Academy Award for Costume Design. She has been nominated twelve times in this category and has also won for Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Alice in Wonderland.

Did you know: The win for Fantastic Beasts is the first Harry Potter-related film to win an Oscar.

Second standing ovation of the evening is for NASA pioneer Katherine G. Johnson. Tajari P. Henson portrayed her in the Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures.

Ezra Edeleman’s O.J.: Made in America wins Best Documentary Feature. This was his first nomination and win. Made in America was a production for ESPN’s award-winning “30 for 30” series and played at last year’s Sundance Film Festival before having a limited screening engagement and later played as miniseries event on ESPN.

Dwayne Johnson “rocks” the blue velvet blazer at tonight’s Oscar telecast.

Lin-manuel Miranda gives a beautiful prologue to Auili’i Cravalho’s performance of “How Far I’ll Go” from Disney’s Moana.

And now for a president that fully supports arts and sciences.

In an interesting move, Arrival – not La La Land – wins for Best Sound Editing.

How about that – Kevin O’Connell has been nominated 21 times for an Academy Award and never won. Until tonight! He, along with Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie, Peter Grace, wins for Best Sound Mixing.

For those who don’t know the greatness of Jackie Chan, a Honorary Oscar recipient at the Governor’s Ball, check this out.

Somebody cue up “Lady in Red” for Ms. Viola Davis. The definition of class delivers another great acceptance speech after her win for Best Supporting Actress. This was Davis’s third Academy Award nomination and first win.

The Oscars is a night of reflection and inspiration and how can you go wrong with Shirley MacLaine’s performance from Billy Wilder’s The Apartment.

“Viola Davis, she just got nominated for an #Emmy for that speech.” – Jimmy Kimmel

Leave it to Jimmy Kimmel to set up a big surprise for those patrons on a tour bus thinking they are going to see a special Oscar exhibit.

Pixar Animation Studios, absent from the Best Animated Film race, wins for “Piper,” an animated short that played in front of Finding Dory this past summer.

For Best Animated Film it goes to Disney’s Zootopia.

And now for “Fifty Shades of Oscar” with Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson presenting for Best Production Design.

“Denzel, would you be the best man at their wedding?” – Jimmy Kimmel

Michael J. Fox knows how to make an entrance. And what better way than a DeLorean?

Netflix’s The White Helmets wins Best Documentary (Short Subject).

“Sorry, we are more than two hours into the show and President Trump hasn’t live-tweeted us once.” – Jimmy Kimmel

Javier Bardem recounts how much Clint Eastwood’s adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County had on him as an actor, particularly Meryl Streep’s performance.

An Oscar edition of Mean Tweets! Give us more, Kimmel! Give us more!

Not sure who made the decision to have John Legend perform “City of Stars” and “Audition” from La La Land but for those who have yet to see the film you don’t get that same feeling. Legend has soul, but these songs work best with heart.

Sara Bareilles delivers a beautiful rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” for this year’s In Memoriam montage.

Ben Affleck and Guest (Matt Damon) deliver Best Original Screenplay, unless Damon gets played off the stage first.

Did you miss the new Will Smith movie that Netflix teased during one of the commercial breaks? You can watch it now!

Hmmm, Halle Berry is presenting Best Director. Could we see Barry Jenkins upset Damien Chazelle?

Nope. Chazelle makes Oscar history becoming the youngest filmmaker to win an Academy Award for direction. He is thirty-two.

In a nice move, they are presenting the actor award first before actress. As it should be.

“One of the first people who taught me to act was Denzel Washington, and I met him for the first time tonight.” – Casey Affleck

Bonnie & Clyde stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway get a nice standing ovation on their way to presenting the award for Best Picture.

Oscar Controversy?

While La La Land was announced as the Best Picture winner by Faye Dunaway, the winner turned out to be Moonlight. Apparently, Beatty was given the wrong envelope and contained the name Emma Stone, who won for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

“I blame Steve Harvey for this.” – Jimmy Kimmel

Don’t blame yourself, Jimmy. You can bet there will be much to discuss regarding the ending of the 89th Academy Awards.