Oscars 2022: Dune leads technical categories as Hans Zimmer wins Best Score in pre-taped segment

Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction epic _Dune_  has won four Academy Awards, even before the broadcast began.

The 94th Academy Awards got underway Sunday off-camera, with the first eight awards on the night being handed out at the Dolby Theatre before the start of the ABC telecast, beginning at 8 PM EDT and 5:30 AM IST on Disney+ Hotstar.

The Dolby was largely full in time for the 7 PM EDT pre-show, dubbed the “golden hour” by the academy. Presenters Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin announced the winners, whose speeches were to be edited into the broadcast.

But it was a strange and controversial beginning to the first fully in-person Oscars in two years. Earlier this month, more than 70 Oscar winners, including James Cameron, Kathleen Kennedy, and Guillermo del Toro, warned that the change would turn some nominees into “second-class citizens.”

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After record-low ratings in 2021, the academy trimmed the live presentation of eight categories from the broadcast, which will feature edited clips of their wins. The academy also elected not to televise the early awards in the Oscars’ press room, where the red carpet pre-show continued to play, even though most stars were by then in their seats. (Most interviews were taped shortly in advance, when the carpet was crowded.)

Dune got out to an early lead, winning for production design, editing, sound, and for Hans Zimmer’ s score. Though it is not favoured in the top awards, Dune — the biggest blockbuster of the 10 best-picture nominees this year — was widely expected to clean up in technical categories.

Best makeup and hairstyling went to Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, and Justin Raleigh for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The star and producer of that film, Jessica Chastain, had been among the many academy members who thought all the awards should have been handed out live during the broadcast. Chastain hugged each winner as they took the stage.

“I just hope that each and every day on set everyone takes a moment to just look around and look at all those talented people who work hard,” said Dowds, the make-up artist.

The Queen of Basketball, about the basketball great Lusia Harris, took best short documentary film. Its executive producers include Steph Curry and Shaquille O’Neal. Best animated short went to The Windshield Wiper, while  “The Long Goodbye,” a blistering fictional short starring Riz Ahmed, took best fiction short.

“This is for everyone who feels like they’re stuck in No Man’s Land,” said Ahmed. “You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there.”

With inputs from The Associated Press.