Apple Inc. beat Netflix Inc. to secure the streaming industry's first best picture during the 94th Academy Awards on March 27.
The Academy's top Oscar honor went to "CODA," a film Apple acquired at the Sundance Film Festival and distributed on Apple TV+. The coming-of-age story, centering on a teenage singer's struggles to reconcile artistic ambitions with loyalty to her otherwise deaf family, also took home statues for best adapted screenplay for Sian Heder and Troy Kotsur as best actor in a supporting role.
The awards marked a down night for Netflix, which won only one statue despite leading the nominations with 27, including two for best picture. Jane Campion earned best directing honors for Netflix's "The Power of the Dog," a contemporary western.
The four streaming awards marked a retreat from the nine won between Netflix and Amazon.com Inc.'s Amazon Studios in 2021. Amazon Studios counted four nominations and no wins at the awards show this year.
Outside of the pure-play players, streaming's Oscar tally is a lot higher if Warner Media LLC and Walt Disney Co.'s mixed-distribution entries are included.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. released its entire 2021 slate on a day-and-date basis in theaters and streaming service HBO Max, due to COVID-19 health uncertainties. The studio's science-fiction fantasy "Dune" was the top Oscar winner overall with six awards, for best visual effects, sound, production design, original score, film editing and cinematography.
Warner Bros. added a studio-leading seventh Oscar with Will Smith honored as best actor in a leading role for his portrayal of Richard Williams, father and coach of tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams. Smith's win came just minutes after he slapped and then screamed at presenter Chris Rock over a joke the comedian made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Disney, which finished the night with six trophies across its various holdings, executed a more diverse release approach. "Encanto," its best animated feature recipient, opened in theaters for 30 days before airing on streaming service Disney+. Best costume winner "Cruella" premiered concurrently in movie theaters and as a premium video-on-demand title on Disney's streaming platform.
"Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" was recognized as best documentary feature, with Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures, Hulu LLC and Onyx Collective sharing in its Oscar accolades.
Ariana DeBose was hailed as best actress in a supporting role for her turn as Anita in Steven Spielberg's take on "West Side Story."
Searchlight added to Disney's Oscar haul with Jessica Chastain scoring best actress in a leading role as the title character in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye." The biopic about the wife of televangelist Jim Bakker also won the Oscar for best makeup and hairstyling.
Netflix and other streamers have benefited during the past two awards seasons from the Academy's relaxed eligibility requirements amid the pandemic's challenged distribution environment. Netflix has largely eschewed in-venue showings in prior years, other than to meet Oscar eligibility requirements.
This year's qualifying rules included making a film available on the secure Academy Screening Room member site within 60 days of the film's streaming/VOD release or broadcast.
For the 2021 Oscars, the Academy enacted several changes, including setting the best picture category at 10 nominees, rather than a fluctuating number of nods from year to year. Different eligibility and preliminary voting requirements also were instituted in the sound, music, documentary short subject, animated short film and live-action short film categories.
The Academy said it plans to expand the qualifying requirements for its 95th Awards, with more details yet to come.
Disney's broadcast network ABC (US) televised the March 27 ceremony from the Dolby Theater at Ovation Hollywood.