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What happened at the Oscars 2022: Highlights, Will Smith and more

The Academy Awards returned to the Dolby Theatre with three hosts and over a dozen performers and presenters.

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The Academy Awards returned to the Dolby Theatre on Sunday with three hosts and over a dozen performers and presenters.

It was a whirlwind night. "CODA" was crowned best picture, taking home the top honor of the night. Ariana DeBose made history as first Afro Latina, openly queer actor of color to win Oscar. Will Smith appeared to hit Chris Rock onstage over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Catch up on all of the night's biggest events with NBC News' live blog below and see the full list of winners here.

3 years ago / 5:00 AM EDT

Academy says it 'does not condone violence' after Will Smith slaps Chris Rock

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued a statement saying it "does not condone violence of any form" after actor Will Smith hit comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars awards ceremony Sunday.

"The Academy does not condone violence of any form," it said in a short statement shared on Twitter.

The statement then sought to bring attention back to the awards ceremony itself. "Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world," it said.

3 years ago / 4:32 AM EDT

Police say Chris Rock declined to file a report against Will Smith

Police say comedian Chris Rock declined to file a report against Will Smith after the actor appeared to have slapped him during the live broadcast of the annual Academy Awards ceremony.

That means the Los Angeles Police Department, which has basic jurisdiction where the show was produced Sunday, will not investigate or pursue possible charges against Smith.

"LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program," the department said in a statement.

"The incident involved one individual slapping another," the LAPD continued. "The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report."

Read the full story here. 

3 years ago / 1:33 AM EDT

Watch: Will Smith hits Chris Rock at the Oscars, apologizes during speech

3 years ago / 12:15 AM EDT

Watch: Ariana DeBose makes Oscars history as first Afro Latina, queer woman to win

3 years ago / 12:14 AM EDT

Watch: Troy Kotsur makes Oscars history as first Deaf man to win in acting

3 years ago / 11:50 PM EDT

And ... scene: A chaotic Oscars comes to a close

The 94th Academy Awards ended with "Coda" and "Dune" taking home the lion's share of awards, plus everything else that won.

After running 40 minutes over with multiple trending moments on social media — most notably Will Smith, who appeared to have hit Chris Rock — the Oscars have officially concluded. Sparsely seen co-hosts Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes returned to the stage one last time wearing pajamas in their brief closing remarks and sent everyone home after a long night of anticipation and celebration. 

Thanks for tuning into our blog! That's a wrap.

3 years ago / 11:34 PM EDT

'CODA' crowned best picture

Hollywood’s top honor goes to Sian Heder’s “CODA,” the story of an aspiring singer torn between her artistic ambitions and her loyalty to her parents and older brother, who are Deaf.

It’s a milestone for Deaf representation in the entertainment industry and a big moment for the streaming service Apple TV+, the movie’s distributor. Apple is the first streaming platform to win best picture.

The cast and crew of "CODA" accept the award for best picture at the Oscars on Sunday in Los Angeles.Chris Pizzello / AP
3 years ago / 11:27 PM EDT

Jessica Chastain wins best actress for ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’

The best actress Oscar goes to Jessica Chastain for her portrayal of Tammy Faye Messner, the ex-wife of televangelist Jim Bakker, in Michael Showalter’s biopic “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”

Chastain’s celebrated performance brought her best actress prizes at the Screen Actor Guild Awards in late February and the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards this month.

She previously earned Oscar nominations for her breakout roles in “The Help” and “Zero Dark Thirty.”

In her acceptance speech, Chastain spoke movingly about Messner's "radical acts of love" in attempting to connect with the LGBTQ community during the AIDS crisis.

She blasted what she described as "bigoted" anti-LGBTQ legislation across the U.S. and made a plea for the future in which LGBTQ people can live "without the fear of violence or terror."

Jessica Chastain accepts the award for best actress for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" at the Oscars on Sunday in Los Angeles.Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images
3 years ago / 11:24 PM EDT

Will Smith accepts best actor Oscar for 'King Richard,' apologizes to the film academy

Will Smith, accepting the best actor Oscar in "King Richard," apologized to the film academy and his fellow nominees as tears streamed down his face. He was recognized for his role as Richard Williams, the father of tennis greats Venus and Serena.

"Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things," Smith said.

The encounter left the audience inside the Dolby Theatre stunned.

Read the full story more.

3 years ago / 11:09 PM EDT

Are Billie Eilish and Zoë Kravitz best friends now?

Justine Goode

One of the sweetest moments of the night came when Zoë Kravitz, alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, presented the award for best original song. Upon opening the envelope, Kravitz let out a small cackle before announcing Finneas and Billie Eilish as the winners. Is Kravitz a secret Billie stan? 

Kravitz and Eilish's friendship seemed cemented when the duo was seen hugging and skipping off stage after the latter's heartfelt and emotional speech. Kravitz is, after all, the daughter of music royalty and herself fronted the R&B and electropop band LOLAWOLF. Maybe we'll get a collab?