The first major award of the 89th Academy Awards ceremony went to American actor Mahershala Ali as the Best Supporting Actor for his role in the hit movie, Moonlight.
Oscars are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to honour the best films of 2016, and held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
The actor is the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar.
And in his acceptance speech, he thanked his teachers and professors, saying, ‘one thing they consistently told me […] was that it wasn’t about you. It’s not about you, it’s about these characters, you are a servant. You’re in service to these stories and these characters.’
He went on to thank Moonlight director Barry Jenkins and the film’s cast and crew. He also thanked his wife and daughter, who was born just four days ago.
‘I want to thank her for being such a soldier through this process, and carrying me through it all,’ he said.
This win also makes Ali the fifth black actor to win a Supporting Actor Oscar.
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