It was a very good night for Guillermo del Toro and his science fiction hit The Shape of Water at the 90th Academy Awards on Sunday (March 4).
The Mexican filmmaker not only walked away with a Best Director Oscar for masterminding an unlikely love story between human and a fish, but The Shape of Water also took the Best Picture prize.
Presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway actually announced the correct Best Picture winner during the climactic final segment on Sunday night, after infamously botching last year's award.
[Jimmy Kimmel's TV sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez congratulates director Guillermo del Toro]
In his Best Director acceptance speech, del Toro told a billion viewers worldwide that he'd been given some important advice by one of the most powerful men in Hollywood in the run-up to the Oscars.
"A few weeks ago Steven Spielberg said, 'If you find yourself on the podium, remember you're part of a legacy, a world of filmmakers and be proud of it'," he explained.
What to Read Next
"I want to dedicate this to every young filmmaker, who are showing us how things are done in every country in the world. I was a kid enamored with movies."
The night's top two acting prizes went, respectively, to Gary Oldman for his transformative portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour and Frances McDormand for her powerhouse turn in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
McDormand was equally as impressive in her acceptance speech as she was in Three Billboards, delivering a tribute to the incredible women gathered for the Academy Awards this year.
"Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed," she said. "Don't talk to us tonight, invite us into your office and we'll tell you all about them. I have two words to leave you with tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider."
Other major winners included Get Out's visionary filmmaker Jordan Peele for Best Original Screenplay, as well as Supporting Acting nods for Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards) and Allison Janney (I, Tonya).
There were a few unlikely winners as well. Former Hollyoaks star Rachel Shenton took Best Live Action Short for her film The Silent Child and NBA star Kobe Bryant shared Best Animated Short Film for producing Dear Basketball with Glen Keane. For a full list of winners, click here.
Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 90th Academy Awards from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday (March 4), with live coverage airing on ABC in the US and Sky Oscars in the UK.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
