It was also a race that unfolded during one of the worst natural disasters in Los Angeles history, something that the Oscars reflected with tributes to the firefighters who worked to save communities engulfed by the wildfires,

“Anora,” the dark romantic comedy about a Brighton Beach stripper who falls for the unreliable son of a wealthy Russian oligarch, was the big winner at the Oscars on Sunday scoring five of its six nominations, including best picture, best director for Sean Baker, and best actress for Mikey Madison.