Director Sean Baker scripted history on Monday by becoming the first person to win four Oscars in the same year for the same film. Baker took home the trophies for Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Director, and Best Picture.
With these wins, Baker ties with a legendary figure in Hollywood, Walt Disney. However, their records differ. In 1953, Disney won four Oscars on the same night, but for four different films: , , , and , , and .
Upon accepting the Oscar for Best Director, Baker took a moment to thank the Academy for recognising an independent film like . "We're all here tonight and watching this broadcast because we love movies. Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater," Baker remarked.
The director also gave a shoutout to Quentin Tarantino for casting Mikey Madison in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which led to her role in .
Baker is the third director after Alfonso Cuarón to win Oscars for both Best Director and Best Film Editing. Cuaron achieved the feat for his 2013 film , and James Cameron received both Best Director and a shared Film Editing Oscar for in 1997.
had already built significant momentum leading up to the Oscars, having claimed top honors at the Producers Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards, and Writers Guild Awards for its original screenplay. The film's success continued at the Oscars, with Mikey Madison winning Best Actress for her performance, while Yura Borisov earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
This is the first time that Baker has received nominations for both writing and directing at the Academy Awards. His previous film earned a supporting actor nomination for Willem Dafoe.