At only 22 years old, Billie Eilish won the Best Original Song Oscar for her track ‘What Was I Made For?’ from the Barbie movie, making her the youngest artist in history to win two Academy Awards, the first being her 2022 Oscar for her James Bond theme ‘No Time to Die.’
Eilish accepted her second Oscar at the 2024 ceremony alongside her brother and co-writer Finneas O’Connell. The pair won against fellow Barbie contender ‘I’m Just Ken’, which Ryan Gosling performed during the ceremony. The song was also up against ‘Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)’ from Killers of the Flower Moon, and ‘It Never Went Away’ from the documentary American Symphony.
After the Barbie movie was released, Eilish’s song rose to number one on the UK and Australian charts and landed at number 14 in the US. During her acceptance speech, where she said she did not expect to get the award, she thanked director Greta Gerwig before saying, “this goes out to everyone who was affected by the movie and how incredible it is.”
Eilish wore a sombre monochrome outfit and an Artists for Ceasefire pin, which included the outline of a hand over a small black heart. The pin represents “collective support for an immediate and permanent cease-fire, the release of all of the hostages and for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.”
Grammy winner Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell, Mark Ruffalo & Ramy Youssef wear red pins displaying Artists-4-Ceasefire at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/5Q5NYgzYVl
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) March 11, 2024
The pin is part of the Artists for Ceasefire campaign launched in October when artists signed a letter to US President Joe Biden demanding that he call for “an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost.”
Other artists who wore the ceasefire badge include queer filmmaker Eugene Lee Yang, director Ava DuVernay, Poor Things star Mark Ruffalo, director Ramy Youssef, documentary filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania and producer Nadim Cheikhrouha.
The pins were not the only thing to draw attention to the genocide taking place in Palestine at the hands of Israel at this year’s Oscars. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic in Hollywood ahead of the 96th Oscar ceremony to demand a ceasefire. The protest delayed the arrival of several stars who were on their way to walk the red carpet.
HAPPENING NOW: A massive protest in support of Palestine near the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, where the Oscars are set to take place.pic.twitter.com/omNyiuD1sm
— sarah (@sahouraxo) March 10, 2024
Moreover, The Zone of Interest, a film about a German officer’s family living next to the Auschwitz camp during World War II won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. During his acceptance speech, Director Jonathan Glazer condemned the violence in Gaza.
This year was also a great success for Irish talent. Notable Irish wins include Cillian Murphy for his role in Oppenheimer and Dublin-based production company Element Pictures for Poor Things. Murphy is the first Irish-born star to win the Best Actor award, and during his acceptance speech he said, “I’m a very proud Irishman standing here tonight,” and he dedicated the award to “peacemakers everywhere.”
Congratulations to Cillian Murphy on his wonderful achievement in winning the Best Actor Oscar, which he so appropriately dedicated to the peacemakers everywhere. Congratulations too to @ElementPictures on the success of Poor Things
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) March 11, 2024
Billie Eilish was one of the many LGBTQ+ stars who walked the Oscars red carpet prior to Sunday’s award ceremony, including Colman Domingo, Lily Gladstone, and Jodie Foster.
The 2024 Academy Awards show will be broadcast on RTÉ2 on Monday evening at 9:35pm.
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