‘And the winner is…’ | Watch the moment My Octopus Teacher won an Oscar

That’s how we do it! South African aquatic wildlife feature “My Octopus Teacher” won the best documentary at the 2021 Oscars – pulling off a stunning victory in the early hours of Monday morning.

Oscars 2021 – how it happened

Before the show, stars paused briefly for pictures and socially distanced interviews on what organizers called a “teeny-tiny red carpet,” where actresses Carey Mulligan and Andra Day dazzled fashion fans in Oscars gold.

An honorary award for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which has supported struggling actors and crew particularly during the pandemic, was awarded at the Oscars’ traditional Hollywood theater base. Black entertainment mogul Tyler Perry was also honored.  Tents sheltering everything from Covid testing booths to catering stations.

Best Documentary Oscar goes to My Octopus Teacher

The unorthodox Oscars ceremony was moved from a Hollywood theater to a glammed-up downtown train station to abide by strict Covid-19 protocols, and reunited Tinseltown A-listers for the first time in more than a year. However, despite the slightly more modest surroundings, the stage was set perfectly for the crew of My Octopus Teacher.

Pippa Ehrlich accepted the award overnight, paying tribute to her fellow crew members and ‘the South Africans watching back home’. The moving marine-life documentary also won a BAFTA two weeks ago…

Pippa Ehrlich hails ‘global contribution’ to film

“Thank you to the Academy and all our incredible nominees. We’re sure there have been many tears along the way. We want to thank Netflix for enabling us to share our story with the world. Our incredible team have arms that stretch across the planet, from South Africa, to the Netherlands, to the US and the UK.”

“Well done to our friends and family who put up with years and years of our tunnel vision. We know many South Africans are awake back home to watch this ceremony. I just hope this film gave a glimpse of a different kind of relationship human beings can have with the outside world.”

You can watch the moment My Octopus Teacher won here

List of main Oscar winners for 2021

Here are the winners in key categories at the 93rd Academy Awards, which were handed out in Los Angeles on Sunday. Road movie “Nomadland” was the big winner of the night, with prizes for best picture, best director and best actress.

No-show Anthony Hopkins pulled a surprise upset to win best actor in the final award of the night, besting sentimental favorite Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer last year. Netflix’s “Mank” began the night with the most nominations — 10 — but ended for dual wins in technical categories, as did Amazon’s “Sound of Metal” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

• Best picture: “Nomadland”
• Best director: Chloe Zhao, “Nomadland”
• Best actress: Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”
• Best actor: Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”
• Best supporting actress: Youn Yuh-Jung, “Minari”
• Best supporting actor: Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
• Best international feature film: “Another Round” (Denmark)
• Best animated feature: “Soul” 
• Best documentary feature: “My Octopus Teacher“
• Best original screenplay: “Promising Young Woman” – Emerald Fennell
• Best adapted screenplay: “The Father” – Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller