Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Photo: Getty Images
Green Book, a civil rights-era comedy and drama, made history Sunday night, taking home the prize for Best Picture at the 91st Academy Awards.
Why it matters: Voters weren't yet ready to hand over the top award to Netflix, which mounted a reported $25-30 million public relations campaign for its black-and-white foreign-language film "Roma." And, most importantly, the night also saw a host of historic wins for minorities at the awards.
- Wins for "Green Book" and "BlacKkKlansman," which saw Spike Lee finally score an Oscar for adapted screenplay, highlighted the power of race relations at the box office, despite the fact that the former faced numerous controversies and criticisms during its campaign.
- Two categories saw African-American women win for the first time. Hannah Beachler and Ruth E. Carter took home the prize for production design and costume design, respectively.
- Regina King and Mahershala Ali, both African-American, took home the awards for Best Supporting Actress and Actor.
- "Black Panther," the first major superhero movie with an African-American lead, scored three awards.
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" star Rami Malek, a first-generation American born to Egyptian immigrants, won for Best Actor for playing Queen's Freddie Mercury. The film took home the most awards of the night with four wins.
The big picture: Despite a ceremony without a host, the show went off relatively smoothly, proving that an emcee may not be as crucial to produce a well-coordinated show is with no major gaffes.
What's next? If ad breaks are any sign of the future, then Netflix won't be giving up on its movie dreams despite the Best Picture snub. Netflix — and streaming rival Disney — both previewed their next big projects during commercial breaks with ads for "The Irishman" and "The Lion King."
Go deeper: Oscars surprises