# 90th Academy Awards
The **90th Academy Awards** ceremony, presented by the [Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-of-motion-picture-arts-and-sciences), honored films released in 2017 and took place on March 4, 2018, at the [Dolby Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/dolby-theatre) at Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles. Achievements in up to 24 regular categories were honored at the presentation[1](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90aa_oscar_history.pdf), and [Jimmy Kimmel](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-kimmel) hosted the telecast for the second straight year[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/90th-oscars-ceremony-tomatometer-score/). *The Shape of Water* won Best Picture[3](https://abc.com/news/6145f9c4-df7e-401a-bd1d-9534b9440aa3/category/3590742), and the ABC broadcast drew 26.5 million viewers, the smallest audience in the telecast's Nielsen-recorded history[4](https://time.com/5186280/oscars-2018-ratings-low/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | March 4, 2018, 8 p.m. ET, Dolby Theatre; scheduled later than usual to avoid the Winter Olympics, which ran February 9 to 25[5](https://time.com/5136088/oscars-2018-when-where-nominees-host/) |
| Host | Jimmy Kimmel, for the second consecutive year[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/90th-oscars-ceremony-tomatometer-score/) |
| Top winners | Best Picture: *The Shape of Water*; Best Actress: Frances McDormand, *Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*; Best Actor: Gary Oldman[3](https://abc.com/news/6145f9c4-df7e-401a-bd1d-9534b9440aa3/category/3590742) • [6](https://time.com/5185473/oscars-2018-jimmy-kimmel-review-recap/) |
| Most-nominated film | *The Shape of Water*, with 13 nominations, the tenth film in Oscar history to earn thirteen[7](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90th-oscars_sidebars.pdf) |
| U.S. audience | 26.5 million viewers, a record low and the first time below 30 million in Nielsen records; rating 6.8, share 25[4](https://time.com/5186280/oscars-2018-ratings-low/) • [8](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/91aa_fact_sheet.pdf) |
| Scale of the year | 341 features eligible for Best Picture; 7,258 voting members as of December 21, 2017; 92 countries submitted foreign-language films[9](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90aa_fact_sheet.pdf) |
| Historic nomination | Rachel Morrison became the first woman ever nominated for Best Cinematography, for *Mudbound*[10](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/512555-first-female-to-be-nominated-for-an-oscar-for-best-cinematography) |
| Critical reception of the show | Rotten at 50% on the Tomatometer with 24 reviews at the time of the telecast[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/90th-oscars-ceremony-tomatometer-score/) |
## Background
The ceremony came almost a year after the 2017 envelope mix-up, in which the Best Picture winner was announced incorrectly. New procedures were implemented to prevent a repeat, and presenters [Warren Beatty](https://www.edgepedia.org/warren-beatty) and [Faye Dunaway](https://www.edgepedia.org/faye-dunaway) returned to hand out Best Picture together, hoping, as [CBS News](https://www.edgepedia.org/cbs-news) reported before the show, to get it right the second time[11](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2018-oscars-me-too-movement-hollywood/).
The nominations followed two years of diversification efforts after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of 2016, when no people of color appeared among the 20 acting nominations. The majority-white and male Academy extended invitations to a record number of new members in both 2016 and 2017 in an effort to diversify its ranks[5](https://time.com/5136088/oscars-2018-when-where-nominees-host/), and the 90th nominee slate included women and minority filmmakers[12](https://time.com/5112407/oscar-nominations-2018/).
## Winners and notable firsts
*The Shape of Water* entered the night as the most-nominated film, with 13 nominations[7](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90th-oscars_sidebars.pdf), and won Best Picture[3](https://abc.com/news/6145f9c4-df7e-401a-bd1d-9534b9440aa3/category/3590742). **Frances McDormand** won Best Actress for *Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*, her fifth nomination and second in the lead category[13](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90th-factsheet.pdf), and [Gary Oldman](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-oldman) won Best Actor[6](https://time.com/5185473/oscars-2018-jimmy-kimmel-review-recap/).
Rachel Morrison's cinematography nomination was a milestone in the Academy's 90-year history: she was the first woman ever nominated in the category, for *Mudbound*, verified by [Guinness World Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/guinness-world-records) on January 23, 2018[10](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/512555-first-female-to-be-nominated-for-an-oscar-for-best-cinematography). The same film produced another first of its kind: [Mary J. Blige](https://www.edgepedia.org/mary-j-blige) became the first person nominated for both an acting performance and Original Song, for *Mudbound*[5](https://time.com/5136088/oscars-2018-when-where-nominees-host/). Dee Rees, the film's writer-director, was only the second African American female writer ever nominated for writing[14](https://womensmediacenter.com/assets/site/reports/wmc-investigates-2018-analysis-of-gender-and-oscar-non-acting-nominations-full-report/2018_WMC_Oscars_REPORT.pdf).
One familiar figure was absent. It is customary for the previous year's Lead Actor winner to present the Best Actress award, but [Casey Affleck](https://www.edgepedia.org/casey-affleck)'s publicist announced in January that the *Manchester by the Sea* star would not attend; many speculated that his presence would not be well received amid the #[MeToo movement](https://www.edgepedia.org/metoo-movement), given past sexual harassment accusations against him[5](https://time.com/5136088/oscars-2018-when-where-nominees-host/). In his place, [Jane Fonda](https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-fonda) and Helen Mirren presented the Best Actor award to Oldman[6](https://time.com/5185473/oscars-2018-jimmy-kimmel-review-recap/).
## The #MeToo and Time's Up context
The ceremony took place a year into the #MeToo reckoning that had ended [Harvey Weinstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/harvey-weinstein)'s career, and the evening made repeated gestures toward the movement. The founders of the Time's Up movement received a dedicated segment, female nominees openly voiced their support for each other, and a short film featuring directors and writers discussing how every form of diversity matters in movies was presented by [Ashley Judd](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashley-judd), Salma Hayek, and [Annabella Sciorra](https://www.edgepedia.org/annabella-sciorra), each of whom had accused Weinstein.[15](https://time.com/5181949/oscars-kobe-bryant-times-up/) Hollywood and Madison Avenue blanketed the broadcast with ads, speeches, and tributes around women's rights, racial equality, and social good, and an Academy-aired tribute featured celebrities including Salma Hayek and Geena Davis speaking about the power of diversity in Hollywood[16](https://www.axios.com/2018/03/05/oscars-dominated-by-meto-1520220612).
Critics were divided on how far the show went. In her Best Actress acceptance speech, McDormand highlighted the female artists in the building and promoted the "inclusion rider," a contractual tool big stars can use to demand diversity on a film's set[17](https://www.washingtonpost.com/gender-identity/the-oscars-showed-progress-but-women-were-still-punchlines/). Yet Kimmel opened the show with a #MeToo joke[15](https://time.com/5181949/oscars-kobe-bryant-times-up/), and the Los Angeles Times' Robin Abcarian called the ceremony's treatment of the scandal a "toothless, feel-good nod" that named no one but Weinstein[18](https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-et-mn-oscars-abcarian-essay-20180305-story.html).
## Reception and ratings
Critics reviewing the ceremony itself split down the middle. The show was Rotten at 50% on the Tomatometer with 24 reviews shortly after the telecast, and Rotten Tomatoes' ceremony page later recorded a score of 47%[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/90th-oscars-ceremony-tomatometer-score/) • [19](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_academy_awards/s90). The broadcast ran about four hours and 50 minutes. Positive reviews praised its surefootedness and McDormand's speech; negative ones called it tepid, predictable, and devoid of a spontaneous moment until nearly the end[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/90th-oscars-ceremony-tomatometer-score/).
The audience told a starker story. About 26.5 million viewers watched on ABC, down 19.5% from 2017's 32.9 million and below the previous low of 32 million in 2008, according to Nielsen data; it was the smallest audience on record for the ceremony and the first time Nielsen records showed the Oscars below 30 million viewers[20](https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-oscar-ratings-20180305-story.html) • [4](https://time.com/5186280/oscars-2018-ratings-low/). The Academy's own fact sheet recorded a rating of 6.8 and a share of 25 for the 90th telecast[8](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/91aa_fact_sheet.pdf). The Los Angeles Times attributed part of the decline to the emergence of streaming online video, a challenge facing all major television events[20](https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-oscar-ratings-20180305-story.html), and President Donald Trump mocked the ratings on social media, jokingly suggesting Hollywood was in need of his own "star" power[21](https://time.com/5187791/trump-trolls-oscars-ratings-on-twitter/). The low figure set off alarm bells at ABC and the motion picture academy, and the following year's telecast rebounded to 29.6 million viewers[22](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/nielsen-29-6-million-viewers-for-oscars-up-from-2018).
## Global reach
The telecast was seen in more than 225 countries, with an estimated global viewership of several hundred million[9](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90aa_fact_sheet.pdf). It was the 17th Oscar show hosted at the Dolby Theatre and the 53rd year that ABC broadcast the Academy Awards[9](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90aa_fact_sheet.pdf).
## References
1. [A Brief History of the Oscar, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (90th Oscars)](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90aa_oscar_history.pdf)
2. [90th Oscars Ceremony Scores Low Marks with Critics, Rotten Tomatoes (March 5, 2018)](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/90th-oscars-ceremony-tomatometer-score/)
3. [Oscar Winners 2018: See the Full List, ABC News](https://abc.com/news/6145f9c4-df7e-401a-bd1d-9534b9440aa3/category/3590742)
4. [TV Ratings for 2018 Oscars Were The Lowest Ever, TIME](https://time.com/5186280/oscars-2018-ratings-low/)
5. [Everything You Need to Know About the 2018 Oscars, TIME](https://time.com/5136088/oscars-2018-when-where-nominees-host/)
6. [Inclusivity Reigned at the Oscars. Except When It Didn't, TIME](https://time.com/5185473/oscars-2018-jimmy-kimmel-review-recap/)
7. [90th Annual Academy Awards Sidebars, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90th-oscars_sidebars.pdf)
8. [91st Oscars Fact Sheet, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/91aa_fact_sheet.pdf)
9. [90th Oscars Fact Sheet, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90aa_fact_sheet.pdf)
10. [First female to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography, Guinness World Records](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/512555-first-female-to-be-nominated-for-an-oscar-for-best-cinematography)
11. [2018 Oscars ceremony will go on in a Hollywood transformed by #MeToo, CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2018-oscars-me-too-movement-hollywood/)
12. [Get Out, Lady Bird, Shape of Water Lead 90th Academy Awards Nominations, TIME](https://time.com/5112407/oscar-nominations-2018/)
13. [90th Annual Academy Awards Fact Sheet, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/90th-factsheet.pdf)
14. [Women's Media Center Investigation: Analysis of Gender and Oscar Non-Acting Nominations (2018)](https://womensmediacenter.com/assets/site/reports/wmc-investigates-2018-analysis-of-gender-and-oscar-non-acting-nominations-full-report/2018_WMC_Oscars_REPORT.pdf)
15. [The Oscars Tried to Embrace Time's Up. It Didn't Really Work, TIME](https://time.com/5181949/oscars-kobe-bryant-times-up/)
16. [Oscars dominated by messages of equality, female empowerment, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2018/03/05/oscars-dominated-by-meto-1520220612)
17. [The Oscars showed progress, but women were still punchlines, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/gender-identity/the-oscars-showed-progress-but-women-were-still-punchlines/)
18. [After months of horrific revelations and #MeToo rage, it was still all smiles on Oscar night, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-et-mn-oscars-abcarian-essay-20180305-story.html)
19. [The Academy Awards: 90th Oscars, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_academy_awards/s90)
20. [Oscars' TV audience dropped to 26.5 million, an all-time low, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-oscar-ratings-20180305-story.html)
21. [President Trump Just Took a Stab at the Oscars, TIME](https://time.com/5187791/trump-trolls-oscars-ratings-on-twitter/)
22. [Nielsen: 29.6 million viewers for Oscars, up from 2018, PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/nielsen-29-6-million-viewers-for-oscars-up-from-2018)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Awards and screen reference › Academy Awards ceremonies and categories*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license