Winners and presenters pressured to provide memorable moments at Sunday’s Academy Awards, while previous winners weigh in on what makes a good acceptance speech
When Joaquin Phoenix used his Bafta acceptance speech to call out the “systemic racism” of the film industry last week, the uncomfortable silence that fell upon his A-list audience was reflective of a particularly confusing awards season. Phoenix was praised for his stance later, but in the moment, stars seemed unsure what face they should be wearing for the inevitable on-camera reaction shots.
Immediately after the
election of
Donald Trump, awards ceremonies were dominated by jabs at him and his agenda. But three years on, stars have been digging deeper. Michelle Williams used her Emmy and Golden Globe speeches to stress the importance of equal pay and the right to choose, respectively, while Patricia Arquette spoke about transgender rights while accepting her Emmy.