The Oscars ceremony, which concluded at the Dolby Theatres in Los Angeles on Monday morning, IST, had plenty of fun and awkward moments. Comedian Conan O'Brien hosted the ceremony and brought his characteristic goofiness to the show, mixing his trademark self-deprecating humor with jabs at the Hollywood elite in the audience. This was Conan's first-ever time as a host and there were some well-appreciated jokes.

Most of the audience cracked upon hearing him say, "It's Hollywood's biggest night...that starts at four in the afternoon." In his opening monologue, O'Brien poked fun at the typically hours-long Oscars telecast by performing a gratuitous musical number in which he sang about not wasting time but that included appearances by a dancing 'Deadpool' and a piano-playing sandworm from 'Dune: Part Two.'

O'Brien also got political with a veiled reference to President Donald Trump as "Anora," a film about a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch, started picking up awards. "You know 'Anora' is having a good night. That's great news. Two wins already. I guess Americans are excited to see someone finally stand up to a powerful Russian."

O'Brien and Adam Sandler managed to land some laughs after the duo engaged in a fun banter over the latter's casual attire at the ceremony. “Adam, what are you wearing?” O’Brien asked Sandler from the stage. “You’re dressed like a guy playing video poker at 2 a.m.”

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“Nobody even thought about what I was wearing until you brought it up,” Sandler responded, as per Variety. “I like the way I look. Because I’m a good person. I don’t care about what I wear and what I don’t wear. My snazzy gym shorts and fluffy sweatshirt offend you so much that you had to mock me in front my peers!”

Adrien Brody who won the award for Best Actor for his performance in 'The Brutalist' was cut off his acceptance speech after organisers played the music. The actor seemed visibly annoyed and said, 'Please turn the music down, I know how it works, ok?,' following which, he went on to thank the special people in his life and also made an appeal to make the world more inclusive.

Prior to the show, actress Halle Berry got back at Adrien Brody for his now infamous kiss. Halle, who had arrived at the red carpet, made her way to Adrien and planted a kiss on his mouth in front of his girlfriend. In 2003, the Oscar winner had impromptu kissed Halle while she presented him with the award.

Original songs ditched
The Oscars telecast scrapped the decades-old tradition of live performances of nominated songs, as per Reuters. Instead, the ceremony featured several musical performances inspired by films. The telecast opened with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo performing songs from 'The Wizard of Oz' and two films inspired by the iconic 1939 movie - 'The Wiz' and the two actresses' Oscar-winning 2024 hit 'Wicked.'

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The show also celebrated James Bond films with a medley of songs from the famous franchise that included performances by actress Margaret Qualley and pop singers Doja Cat, Lisa and Raye. Later, Queen Latifah performed 'Ease On Down the Road' from 'The Wiz' as a musical tribute to producer Quincy Jones, who died last year.

Notable firsts
This year's Oscar winners included some notable firsts. The nations of Latvia and Brazil each picked up their first-ever Oscars. Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis won the best animated feature film Oscar for "Flow," which follows a cat that finds refuge on a boat along with other animals.

And Brazilian director Walter Salles' 'I'm Still Here,' about a matriarch whose husband is taken away by the military regime that ruled the country in the 1970s, won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Also, Paul Tazewell became the first black man to win the costume design Oscar for 'Wicked,' an achievement he acknowledged when accepting his award onstage.

Gene Hackman Tribute
Actor Morgan Freeman delivered a heartfelt tribute to his friend Gene Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner who was found dead at home last week. "This week our community lost a giant and I lost a dear friend, Gene Hackman," Freeman said, noting that the two starred in two films together -- the western "Unforgiven" in 1992 and "Under Suspicion," a thriller, in 2000.

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"Like everyone who ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer and a man whose gift elevated everyone's work," Freeman said. "He received two Oscars, and more importantly, he won the hearts of filmgoers around the world."

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