Oscars 2019 as it happened: Winners, big surprises, speeches and more

Make it five out of six for the “Three Amigos.”

With his win for best director, “Roma’s” Alfonso Cuarón has not only added a second Academy Award for his mantle, but also continued an unprecedented run for a trio of Mexican filmmakers who are forever tied together by friendship and professional collaboration.

Cuarón, who also won in 2013 for "Gravity," and his pals Alejandro González Iñárritu (who won back-to-back for 2014's "Birdman" and 2015's "The Revenant") and Guillermo del Toro (2017's "The Shape of Water") have dominated the honor for the past few years.  

“It's unprecedented and it's remarkable,” Ira Deutchman, an indie film veteran and professor at the film program at Columbia University, told NBC News. “What you want to do is connect the dots and figure out if they are somehow gaming the system, is there a real reason for it? But I think it's just all three have been tapping into the zeitgeist over the last few years.” 

Making Sunday more special for Cuarón: he received the statuette from Del Toro.

Cuarón also won Sunday night for best achievement in cinematography.

The trio, who first met each other working on a Mexican show called "La Hora Marcada" during the 1980s, still consult each other for advice on their films.

"There’s no film I make that doesn’t get run past them, by their eyes and hands,” Cuarón previously told the Spanish newspaper, El Pais.

The night is almost at an end and what a night it has been. From the surprise of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse" beating "The Incredibles" for best animated feature film, "Green Book" winning for best original screenplay, and Spike Lee getting his first Oscar recognition (outside of his Honorary Oscar in 2015) for best adapted screenplay for "BlacKkKlansman," the night is breaking records and expectations left and right.

Make sure to keep up to date with all the historic wins  at the 91st Oscars ceremony.

In the least surprising moment of this year's Academy Awards, "Shallow" took home best original song and an emotional Lady Gaga delivered a speech on the importance of not giving up and following your dreams.

Which, like, great! Excellent.

But despite the fact that anybody emoting in public makes me uncomfortable (as someone who prefers to cry alone in the car), Gaga's surprise at taking home the award we all knew she'd win was confusing. First, it was the frontrunner for best song. Second, she's a Grammy-award winning artist, so her surprise and tears made a little less sense. The woman is an established artist. She's one of the most famous people in the world. Bradley Cooper didn't pluck her out of obscurity, and she certainly wasn't "discovered" via "A Star Is Born." She won an acting award already for her turn in "American Horror Story." So, like, let's get with it, everybody. The woman is a force of nature — she isn't Ally, and thank goodness. But, well... does SHE know that?

Here's the thing: Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are not Jackson Maine or Ally, but tonight they would've liked us to believe they were. Because while we've endured a "are they or aren't they" for the entirety of fall and winter, their performance of "Shallow" tonight truly strove to recreate the magic of a fictional couple we'd all hate to hang out with in real life.

So yes, they sang, they duetted, and they ended the song by making it seem like they were about to kiss — only to not, and instead sit awkwardly close as if it wasn't rehearsed, planned, or plotted. Which marks the end of an era! It's over! Jackson and Ally have been retired, long live "Shallow," unless you're tired of it! I just hope Bradley gave Sam Elliott back his voice.

A sentient dumpling that brought people to tears just picked up the Academy Award for best animated short film. "Bao," which tells the story of a Chinese mother and a dumpling baby that comes to life, made its debut before "Incredibles 2" last summer.

The short film was directed by Domee Shi, who told NBC News last summer she was inspired by classic food fairy tales.

"To all of the nerdy girls out there who hide behind their sketchbooks, don't be afraid to tell your story to the world," Shi said on the Oscars stage.

"Bao" is Shi's directorial debut and the first Pixar short to be directed by a woman.

Introducing "Bohemian Rhapsody," Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reunited onstage to step back into their "Wayne's World" personas and remind us all that once upon a time, we loved things with abandon.

...Not that I'm hoping for a "Wayne's World 3" movie or anything outside a few minutes of innocent nostalgia. In fact, that would ruin everything. The VHS copy of "Wayne's World" is fine.

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" won the Academy Award for best animated feature film, making co-director Peter Ramsey the first black person to win in this category.

The film was hailed for its representation of Miles Morales, a black Puerto Rican teen in Brooklyn, New York, who portrayed Spider-Man in the film.

"Anyone can wear the mask; everyone is powerful and everyone is necessary, and that is the spirit of the movie," Ramsey said of the film's storyline.

With Mahershala Ali's win for best supporting actor ("Green Book"), Richard E. Grant's award season came to an abrupt close, and with it the joy we — as a people — felt for him over the last few weeks. We can only hope he gets cast in every movie going forward, so that we can repeat the splendor of following Mr. Grant on his next journey. After all, Richard E. Grant is a gift. And thus he belongs in the present.

Capes are taking over the Oscars this year, and I'm honestly not here for it. 

Glenn Close is wearing a gold dress and a cape, that allegedly weighs 42 pounds. Jennifer Hudson paid homage to Supreme Court Justice Ruth B. Ginsburg during her performance, sporting a pussy bow blouse and tuxedo cape that took over the stage. Maya Rudolf opened the show with a floral dress and cape ensemble and Melissa McCarthy also wore a cape tonight — twice!

Even the boys dabbled in the cape game. "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman sported a floor length tail coat, which qualifies as a cape to me and is arguably fitting for the superhero actor. 

Has anybody seen "The Incredibles?" Edna told us capes were out of style.

The night is already working up to be an exciting night of historic wins. Regina King won her first ever Oscar for best supporting actress in "If Beale Street Could Talk," Hannah Beachler became the first African-American to win for costume design and Alfonso Cuarón is en route to break records with his win for best cinematography for "Roma."

Make sure to check out the full list of running Oscar winners as the night continues.

No surprise here: "Roma" just won its second Oscar of the night, for foreign-language film. No other foreign-language film winner in Oscar history has also triumphed in the coveted best picture category. "Roma," however, could flip the script — assuming it nabs the top honor.

Tonight's two musical performances share one thing in common — "American Idol." 

Long before Adam Lambert collaborated with rock band Queen as lead vocalist, he was the runner-up on the eighth season of "American Idol."

Jennifer Hudson rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of "American Idol," placing seventh, sparking major backlash over her early departure. Turns out Hudson didn't need a top finish to perform “I’ll Fight” from the Oscar nominated documentary "RBG." Hudson also won an Oscar for best supporting actress for "Dreamgirls."

Look, this show isn't going as badly as anticipated, but where are the jokes?

There hasn't been even a quip since the costume design, and I'm ready to laugh!

They really fronted the show with comedians, but now it's just been...Marvel superheroes?

More jokes please!

Anne: Guys i still haven't seen bohemian rhapsody

Anne: I just can't

Anna: Me neither

Anna: And Same

Ben: Same

Jason: I heard it was bad

Ben: My grandma loved it!

Erin: I haven't seen it either but i have the dvd...

Anne: MY TIME IS PRECIOUS I HAVE TO WATCH MAD MEN FOR THE 25925825TH TIME

Erin Evans: I was gonna watch it today but i took a nap

ABC just televised the awards for best makeup/hairstyling and best cinematography. We survived. America will live to see and fight another day. 

You might remember that those categories were among a group of four that the film academy had planned to air during commercial breaks. It was all part of a bid to keep the show under three hours. But industry backlash — seriously, virtually every major Hollywood director slammed the move — forced the academy to relent.

The result: The three people who did the makeup/hairstyling for "Vice" gave a joint acceptance speech, and then "Roma" director Alfonso Cuarón took the stage to accept the cinematography prize.

Everything seems to be fine. Let's move forward, together as one nation under movies.

Zach Haberman and Stephanie Haberman — two non-live blogging, but members of the NBC News team — are only watching the Oscars for the chance of a "Star Wars" teaser trailer. That's all. Anyone else?

Like the World Series and the Superbowl, The Oscars are the grandest stage for its industry. And the Oscars are LOADED with crazy statistics, from longest speech, to most wins in a category, and even to the weight of award. 

Here are some of our favorites: 

1. Longest show: 4 hours and 23 minutes by the 2002 Oscars with Whoopi Goldberg hosting.

2. Number of actors who have been nominated for playing a president: 8 (with only one win by Daniel day Lewis in 2013 for Lincoln)

3. Cost to create an Oscar statue: $500

4. Overall Oscar Wins : Walt Disney with 26 wins (and 59 nominations!)

5. Countries (and territories) that will televise the event: 225

"It's been a long time coming," Ruth Carter said at the Oscars on Sunday night after winning an award for best costume design for "Black Panther."

"Marvel may have created the first black superhero but through costume design we turned him into an African king," she said in her speech. Carter, who has been designing for film since her first gig working for Spike Lee's "School Daze" in 1988, thanked the director in her speech.

“I can't say enough about how the pageantry of the film has connected with people in such a beautiful way,” Carter told NBCBLK in March 2018. “People want to honor themselves, they want to honor culture, they want to honor Africa. They just want to be happy to be who they are, not trying to be something they aren't.”

The show is ticking off the awards in the first 30 minutes. So far, we've got...

Actress in a supporting role: Regina King

Documentary feature: 'Free Solo'

Makeup and hairstyling: 'Vice'

For our full list of Oscar winners, go here.

So, are we watching the Golden Globes?

After a "Queen" performance (can we call it Adam Lambert karaoke?), Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph showed up about 5 minutes in and started telling jokes. 

Why didn't the Academy just have them host? The three comedians with obvious chemistry did make fun of the show for not having a real host, and 30 seconds in Maya made a quip about President Trump.

If Gabriela Rodriguez wins best picture for "Roma," she will be the first Latina ever to win Best Picture. The Venezuelan born producer has collaborated with Alfonso Cuarón for more than a decade, according to an interview with The Associated Press. She starting off as his intern, then progressed to become his personal assistant, then associate producer, and then became his main producer for "Roma."

Rodriguez is just one of the notable Oscar firsts that could happen if she wins this year.

Yes, he's up for best supporting actor in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" but it's essential to acknowledge that Richard E. Grant deserved an Oscar for his role as Clifford in Spice World. Easily the best fictional band manager in cinematic history, Clifford's presence was and always will be as important as his facial hair.(And if you don't get those references, you don't deserve him.)

2019 marks the sixth time Amy Adams has been nominated for an Academy Award, having formerly earned nods for "Junebug," "Doubt," "The Fighter," "The Master," and "American Hustle." Which begs the question: will Amy Adams ever finally win? Does she not deserve one, already? Are we not entertained? (Am I yelling too loud?) And if this is her year, is her turn as Lynne Cheney really the role we'll want to associate with her forever? Because I'll be honest: she is so much better than that wig.

The Razzies, the annual roundup of the year's worst movies and performances, handed out their non-prizes over the weekend.

Melissa McCarthy "won" in the lead actress category for her turns in the puppet noir "The Happytime Murders" and the back-to-school comedy "Life of the Party." Let's just say that neither movie killed it on Rotten Tomatoes.

But don't feel too bad. McCarthy is up for an Oscar tonight for her widely acclaimed portrayal of cantankerous literary forger Lee Israel in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" 

The best actress Oscar is most likely going to Glenn Close ("The Wife) or maybe, just maybe, Lady Gaga ("A Star Is Born") — but McCarthy's nod could help her land more substantive dramatic roles.

In what I can only hope is a preview of the award ceremony itself, the Oscar red carpet is perfectly extra this year. (Translation: it's actually fun.) Gemma Chan showed up in an electric pink piece by Maison Valentino, while Best Actress nominee Glenn Close appeared in a perfect amount of Carolina Herrera gold. Meanwhile, Angela Bassett blessed us with a one-sleeved fuchsia gown by Reem Acra, and Kacey Musgraves was a vision in pink tulle. Me? I'm wearing overalls. And I assume every actor I just named is a little bit jealous.

Best drama of the night not having to do with movies goes to The New York Times and Vanity Fair.

It all started on Thursday, when The Times' styles section published a story entitled "It Was the Hottest Oscar Night Party. What Happened?" detailing how Vanity Fair's exclusive Oscars party had lost some of its luster.

"Stars still care about being photographed as they walk in. But the hysterical frenzy that once surrounded the event has been fading for some time, at least among top celebrities, three longtime publicists said in interviews," The Times declared.

The story raised a few eyebrows in the media world but did not have gain all that much attention until Friday, when Choire Sicha, editors of the Times' styles section, tweeted that the paper had been disinvited from covering the Vanity Fair party.

"Just got word that Vanity Fair has disinvited The New York Times from covering their annual Oscars party," Sicha wrote. "They said it 'feels like the Times has already run their coverage of the VF party this year,' they said. I guess we did!"

That, of course, triggered plenty of coverage in the entertainment press. Director Ava DuVernay came to Vanity Fair's defense, tweeting: "This is the magazine and editor who put @LenaWaithe on a solo cover and invited a beautiful array of black and brown people last year. We had a helluva time. Funny how now it’s suddenly “lost its luster.” Luster for some. Closed doors now open for others."

The Times, however, is far from the first to claim that the party had become a bit less exclusive. President Donald Trump made a similar claim... back in 2014.

Who's up for a bet? 

Alex Donohue, industry analyst at US-Bookies.com, sent in the current odds for some the big awards. 

"Roma" is the favorite for best picture at 5/2, followed by "Green Book" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" at 14/1, and "The Favourite"  and "Black Panther" at 16/1 and 25/1, respectively.

Rami Malek leads the best actor running at 7/2 for his turn as Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody." Christian Bale, who played Dick Cheney in "Vice," is second-closest at 16/1. The rest of the pack is a ways behind: Bradley Cooper at 40/1, Viggo Mortensen at 50/1, and Willem Dafoe with the longshot 100/1.

Glenn Close's performance in "The Wife" is the favorite for best actress at 13/2, followed by Olivia Colman for "The Favourite" at 16/1, followed by Lady Gaga at 40/1, Yalitza Aparicio and Melissa McCarthy both at 66/1.

Alfonso Cuarón ("Roma") is the odds on favorite for best director, followed by Spike Lee ("BlacKkKlansman") at 25/1, Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Favorite") at 33/1, and Pawel Pawlikowski ("Cold War") and Adam McKay ("Vice") at 40/1/

Some of the biggest favorites come from the supporting actor/actress categories. Mahershala Ali is a heavy, heavy favorite for his performance in "Green Book" at 1/12, which is a 92 percent implied probability. Regina King is the strong favorite for her role in "If Beale Street Could Talk," at 1/4, and implied probability of 80 percent.

"Green Book" was one of the most divisive, hotly debated movies of 2018, as my colleague Ethan Sacks explains here. But it's entirely possible the Oscars will open and close with honors for the interracial road trip comedy.

Mahershala Ali, who co-stars as real-life black pianist Don Shirley, is poised to nab the first award of the night: best supporting actor. And then, roughly three hours later and just before the credits roll, "Green Book" could take home the best picture prize.

In other words: Get your hot takes ready, America!

The race for best picture is wide-open this year. Oscar oddsmakers seem to favor "Roma" and "Green Book," but any of the other six contenders could easily stage upsets. 

We pooled our team of trusty live-bloggers for their best picture predictions. 

Jason Abbruzzese picks "Bohemian Rhapsody" and says: "I feel like this is the safe vote for academy members who got the message that it shouldn't go to 'Green Book' but didn't want to vote for 'Roma.'"

Daniel Arkin also picks "Roma," which he calls "a testament to Alfonso Cuarón's vision and Netflix's marketing muscle."

Ryan Beckler picks "Roma," because "it *seems* to be the statistical favorite." 

Anna Brand picks "Green Book," even though she never saw it because "it looks like a movie I would hate, the way I hate 'Three Billboards,' which did not win best picture, but won more than it should have, imo."

Anne T. Donahue: "The Favourite," because it's "one of the only nominees I saw, and one of the only ones I need to."

Demi Douglas picks "Black Panther" because that's her winner "at heart." But, she adds, a victory is "#doubtful."

Janelle Griffith picks "BlacKkKlansman" and says: "I think that maybe the Oscar will go to Spike [Lee] to make up for "Do the Right Thing" being snubbed decades ago."

Nicholas Jacobino picks "Green Book" because he thinks Oscar voters responded to the relationship at the center of the movie.

Ben Kesslen picks "Roma" and says: "I think it's gonna sweep."

Ethan Sacks also picks "Roma" and observes: "In a wide-open year, the best-directed film of 2018 is also the safest pick."

We've got 'The Favourite,' but no favorite, a year of historic firsts (potentially...) and, oh yeah, no host! Ahead of the big event, here's a guide to some of the key storylines that might give shape to the most unpredictable Oscars in years.

Read our full analysis here.