Oscars 2024: Christopher Nolan, an eight-time nominee for the Academy Award, wins for the first time, and his speech goes viral

Following up on his prediction as the front-runner for the Oscars, Christopher Nolan took home two prizes on Sunday night: one for best picture and one for directing “Oppenheimer.”

Despite receiving critical praise throughout his career, the 53-year-old British visionary has never won an Oscar before. He received nominations in 2010 for “Inception,”  in 2001 for “Memento” for the original screenplay, and in 2017 for directing “Dunkirk.”

“Receiving this acknowledgement from my colleagues is the cherry on top,” he said behind the scenes. For me, it’s very crucial. It’s a fantastic way to cap off an amazing year.

When “Oppenheimer” wrapped off the evening with a Best Picture Oscar—among seven it garnered, including Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr.—Nolan promptly added another statue. The movie has made about $1 billion in revenue globally and received a record 13 nominations.

With an Oscar in each hand, Nolan remarked, “It means I can do curls.” “They weigh a lot.”

Noting that motion pictures are just a little over a century old, Nolan thanked the Academy for the recognition on stage. He said, “We have no idea where this amazing journey will go from here.” “But it means the world to me to know that you believe I am an important part of it.”

Nolan defeated Martin Scorsese of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Yorgos Lanthimos of “Poor Things,” Jonathan Glazer of “The Zone of Interest,” and Justine Triet of “Anatomy of a Fall.”Scorsese was the oldest nominated for director at 81.

Emma Thomas, Nolan’s wife, who produced “Dunkirk” and “Inception” and twice received best picture nominations alongside her husband, encouraged him. Since 1997, the college sweethearts have collaborated as producers on all of his motion pictures.

The Governor’s Ball, the Academy Awards’ official post-show party, was the first event of the couple’s celebrations with their kids.

Throughout the awards season, Nolan was the frontrunner and won the Directors Guild of America’s top prize in addition to winning best director at the BAFTA Film Awards and Golden Globes.

In addition to directing, Nolan received nods for best picture and adapted screenplay for his three-hour, ambitious, R-rated epic “Oppenheimer,” which is about the American scientist who invented the atomic bomb.

“There were so many things that came together for us on this film, starting with the response that audiences around the world gave to ‘Oppenheimer,’ which far exceeded our expectations,” said director Christopher Nolan.

The auteur filmmaker is recognized for his or her preference for handheld cameras, on-location filming, and lighting reminiscent of a documentary over interior studios. Many of his peers, including Scorsese, have often lauded Nolan, hailing him for producing “beautifully made films on a big scale.”

His other credits include the Batman trilogy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises), “Tenet,” and “Interstellar.”