Looking at Film from Every Angle

68th Academy Awards (1995): The Ceremony

Nominations Announcement

Nominations Announcement Date: Tuesday, February 13, 1996
Nominations Presenters: Quincy Jones, Arthur Hiller
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Supporting Actor
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Supporting Actress
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Actor
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Actress
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Director
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Original Screenplay
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Adapted Screenplay
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Foreign Language Film
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Picture

Ceremony Details

Awards Ceremony Date/Time: Monday, March 25, 1996, 6:00pm
Location: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles
Televised On: ABC
Host: Whoopi Goldberg
Length: 3 hours, 38 minutes
Nielsen Ratings: 30.48 rating
Viewers: 44.81 million

Presenters

Costume Design: Pierce Brosnan, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer
Presentation: Costume Design walk: Various Supermodels
Supporting Actor: Dianne Wiest
Makeup & Hairstyling: Alicia Silverstone
Best Picture Introduction: Braveheart: Jeremy Irons
Production Design: Emma Thompson
Original Song Introduction: “Moonlight”: Chris O’Donnell
Honorary Award: Chuck Jones: Robin Williams
Honorary Award: John Lasseter for “Toy Story”: Robin Williams, Tim Allen (as Buzz Lightyear), Tom Hanks (as Woody)
Original Song Introduction: “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”: Whoopi Goldberg
Animated Short Film: Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Jackie Chan
Live Action Short Film: Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Jackie Chan
Sound Editing: Sandra Bullock
Best Picture Introduction: Apollo 13: John Travolta
Sound Mixing: Steven Segal
Supporting Actress: Martin Landau
Cinematography: Jim Carrey
Film Editing: Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell
Scientific & Technical Awards; and Gordon E. Sawyer Award: Donald C. Rogers: Richard Dreyfuss
Best Picture Introduction: Dead Man Walking: Winona Ryder
Visual Effects: Will Smith
Documentary Short Subject: Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue
Documentary Feature: Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue
Tribute: Gene Kelly: Savion Glover
Original Song Introduction: “Colors of the Wind”: Nathan Lane
Foreign Language Film: Mel Gibson
Best Picture Introduction: Sense and Sensibility: Anjelica Huston
Honorary Award: Kirk Douglas: Steven Spielberg
Filler: Babe, Miss Piggy
Music: Original Drama Score: Quincy Jones, Sharon Stone
Music: Original Musical or Comedy Score: Quincy Jones, Sharon Stone
Best Picture Introduction: Il Postino: Liam Neeson
In Memoriam: Arthur Hiller
Original Song Introduction: “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman”: Jimmy Smits
Writing: Original Screenplay: Susan Sarandon
Writing: Adapted Screenplay: Anthony Hopkins
Introduction: Strength in the Face of Adversity Montage: Christopher Reeve
Introduction: Original Song nominees: Take 6
Original Song: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne
Directing: Robert Zemeckis
Best Picture Introduction: Babe: Nicole Kidman
Actress: Tom Hanks
Actor: Jessica Lange
Picture: Sidney Poitier

Previous Acting & Directing Winners

The tradition of prior acting winners returning the subsequent year to present the opposite-gender category is a long one. Each year, we look to see whether the prior winners returned. There was an intermittent tradition where the prior directing winner returned as well, but this was a rare occurrence.

Actor – Tom Hanks: Yes
Actress – Jessica Lange: Yes
Supporting Actor – Martin Landau: Yes
Supporting Actress – Dianne Wiest: Yes
Directing – Robert Zemeckis: Yes

Song Performances

Colors of the Wind: Vanessa Williams
Dead Man Walking: Bruce Springsteen
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman: Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen
Moonlight: Gloria Estefan
You’ve Got a Friend in Me: Lyle Lovett, Randy Newman

Original Song Film Performers

Was the song performed at the Oscars by the same individuals who performed it in the film?

Colors of the Wind: Partial (Vanessa Williams only) (Performed in the Film by: Judy Kuhn, Vanessa Williams)
Dead Man Walking: Yes (Performed in the Film by: Bruce Springsteen)
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman: Partial (Bryan Adams only) (Performed in the Film by: Bryan Adams)
Moonlight: No (Performed in the Film by: Michael Dees, Sting)
You’ve Got a Friend in Me: Yes (Performed in the Film by: Randy Newman, Lyle Lovett)

Other Performances

Best Original Song medley: Take 6
Sound Effects Editing montage: Stomp
Tribute: Gene Kelly, “Singin’ in the Rain”: Savion Glover

Ceremony Production Staff

Announcer: Les Marshak
Conductor / Musical Arranger: Tom Scott
Director: Jeff Margolis
Producer: Quincy Jones
Writer: Stephen Pouliot, Bruce Vilanch
Writer (Special Material): Jay Cocks, Daniel M. Salzman, Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer, Whoopi Goldberg
Production Design: Ray Klausen

Emmys

Nominations: 7
Wins: 1
Variety Music or Comedy Special: Nominee
Directing for a Variety Series: Nominee
Performance in a Variety or Music Program: Nominee (Whoopi Goldberg, host)
Lighting Direction for a Drama Series Variety Series Miniseries or Special: Winner
Art Direction for Variety or Nonfiction Programming: Nominee
Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special: Nominee
Technical Direction Camerawork Video Control for a Miniseries Movie or a Special: Nominee