2022 Oscars: The Best Moments and Biggest Surprises

The stars were shining bright on Sunday! This year’s Academy Awards brought out the biggest names in Hollywood for a night of fun and celebration.

Coming together at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the night felt more like the Oscars people have come to know and love than last year’s socially distanced ceremony, and was a musical performance-filled gala that also served as a celebration of cinema through the years.

For the first time since the 2018 ceremony, the show was hosted, and it was hosted by three emcees — Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes — who brought their sharp wit and fun energy to the night.

From some long-awaited wins to some truly touching acceptance speeches, here are all the best, biggest and most memorable highlights from Sunday’s 94th Oscars.

Beyoncé Kicks Things Off

Beyoncé celebrated feeling alive in a powerful performance to open Sunday night’s show. The 40-year-old musician marked her first live performance in two years by taking to the Tragniew Park tennis courts in Compton to perform “Be Alive,” her Oscar-nominated track from the Will Smith-led biopic, King Richard.

Return of the Hosts

Schumer, Sykes and Hall took the stage and proved exactly why there’s a great deal of value to having actual hosts — they bring personality, comedy and they make memorable moments. The trio used their monologue to get in some sharp political jabs, beginning with one of their first jokes. “This year, the Academy hired three women to host,” Schumer shared, “because it’s cheaper than hiring one man.”

Troy Kotsur Honors His Dad

Kotsur took home the trophy for Best Supporting Actor for his role in CODA, and he honored his father in his emotional speech. “He was the best signer in our family. But he was in a car accident and he became paralyzed from the neck down. And he no longer was able to sign,” Kotsur shared. “Dad, I learned so much from you. I’ll always love you. You are my hero.”

Megan Talks About Bruno

In the first live performance of the chart-topping group number from the new Disney animated film, the cast of Encanto sang the hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” with a little help from Megan Thee Stallion! Cast members Stephanie Beatriz (Mirabel), Carolina Gaitan (Pepa), Mauro Castillo (Félix), Diane Guerrero (Isabela), and Adassa (Dolores) took to the stage to belt out the celebrated song, before Megan made a surprise appearance and added a remix version to the hit track. They were all joined by Latinx artists Becky G and Luis Fonsi to close out the high-energy performance.

‘White Men Can’t Jump’ Reunion

The show invited Wesley Snipes, Rosie Perez and Woody Harrelson to take the stage to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their film, White Men Can’t Jump. The trio dressed to the nines for the star-studded gala, and they were all smiles as they came together to reflect on their movie, which hit theaters March 27, 1992. The group made some solid jokes about how much Harrelson famously likes to get high, but their brief interaction was a reminder of how much weird chemistry they really had back in the day.

Reba McEntire Returns

The country icon performed a live rendition of “Somehow You Do,” from the film Four Good Days — her first performance at the Oscars in decades — and was joined by Travis Barker on drums. The country queen and the rock superstar proved to be a truly powerful duo.

Will Smith Gets Physical

In one of the most mind-blowing surprises in Oscar history, Will Smith stole the spotlight (and made things kind of super awkward) when he walked up onto stage and open-palm slapped Chris Rock in the face after Rock made a quip about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. He then cussed at Rock on live TV and genuinely there was no way to know if it was all part of a weird bit or a real outburst. Based on Smith’s tearful speech after winning Best Actor, it turned out to be very real.

The 2022 Oscars are on Sunday, March 27 from 8-11 p.m. ET/5-8 p.m. PT on ABC. Stay tuned to ETonline.com for complete Oscars coverage.

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