The 91st Academy Awards began with a showstopping performance of “We Will Rock You” and “We are the Champions” performed by Adam Lambert and Queen that had the audience on their feet cheering.

Despite having no host because of the revelation that Kevin Hart made previous homophobic comments, the Oscars celebrated the many achievements within the film industry. With eight outstanding films fighting neck and neck for best picture, this year’s race appeared to be close. The award of best picture was given to “Green Book.” The film had five nominations and won three Oscars by the end of the night. Two of the other films that were nominated for best picture, “Roma” and “The Favourite,” were also nominated for nine other awards each.

“Green Book” highlights the importance of loving everyone despite their racial, economic or cultural differences. However, their win surprised many because this film talks about how people felt about race in the past while other films such as “Black Panther,” which was also nominated for best picture, showcased the history of African Americans as a whole and is more relevant to issues facing today and the future.

This year’s nominees for best actor and actress in a leading role included Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury from “Bohemian Rhapsody,” both Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga as themselves from “A Star is Born” and Glenn Close as Joan Castleman from “The Wife.” Malek took home the Oscar for best actor, and, surprisingly, Olivia Colman as Queen Anne from “The Favourite” was awarded the Oscar for best actress. This was Colman’s first Oscar nomination.

I was not surprised by the pick for best actor. I recently watched “Bohemian Rhapsody” and felt that Malek portrayed Mercury very accurately, and as a whole, the film “Bohemian Rhapsody” definitely honored the legacy and achievements of the band Queen, which was particularly showcased because they received the most Oscars of the night with a total of four. On the other hand, I was very surprised by Colman winning the Oscar for best actress considering who she was up against, including prominent figures such as Close and Gaga.

The Oscars not only recognize successes in acting and filmmaking, but also in original songs. This year there were five songs nominated for best original song ranging from “All the Stars” from “Black Panther” to “The Place Where the Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns.” The winner of this category was “Shallow” from “A Star is Born,” which was performed beautifully by Cooper and Gaga live earlier in the show.

After watching the movie “A Star is Born,” I could not get the song “Shallow” out of my head. This song is powerful, highlights mental health issues in society today and shows what Gaga is able to do with her voice. I think that “Shallow” was highly deserving of the Oscar for best original song despite the tough competition.

In featuring people of color and women, this year’s Oscars more accurately reflected the diversity in the film industry and brought attention to their accomplishments.

Overall, the 91st Academy Awards were definitely entertaining and worth watching from beginning to end, even though the telecast did not end until past 11 p.m.