Eric Hinton

Oscars Not So White: Ali, Davis Win Academy Awards After Racism Controversy

All the stars came out Sunday night for the 89th Academy Awards. Watch a round up of all the top Oscar winners.

What a difference a year makes.

Two years after #OscarSoWhite immersed the Academy Awards in controversy, Viola Davis took home her first Oscar for her role in "Fences" while Mahershala Ali was also a first time winner for his role in "Moonlight."

Ali was showered with nominations and trophies for his portrayal of a drug dealer who mentors a troubled youngster in "Moonlight," which is also in the running for best picture.

Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis and Emma Roberts
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Charlize Theron arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Viola Davis arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Janelle Monae attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Meryl Streep attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Chris Evans, left, and Jeremy Renner arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Dev Patel, left, and Anita Patel arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Actors Jackie Chan, left, and Taraji P. Henson greet each other at the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Jessica Biel attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Actor Octavia Spencer attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Kirsten Dunst attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Halle Berry attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Model Chrissy Teigen attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
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Nicole Kidman attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb.26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Ryan Gosling arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Scarlett Johansson attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
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Actor Alicia Vikander attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
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Actors Michelle Williams, left, and Busy Philipps attend the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Producers Pharrell Williams, left, and Mimi Valdes attend the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
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Brie Larson arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Susan Geston, left, and Jeff Bridges arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Dakota Johnson arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Hailee Steinfeld arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Taraji P. Henson attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Karlie Kloss attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Emma Roberts attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
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Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck presents Oscars cuisine before the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Luz Towns-Miranda, left, and Lin-Manuel Miranda arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Sofia Boutella attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Isabelle Huppert attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Auli'i Cravalho attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Olivia Culpo unveils a one-of-a-kind Marchesa for Stella Artois gown during the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Sofia Carson attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Actor Ruth Negga attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Cynthia Erivo attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Jackie Chan arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with his "date" - two stuffed pandas.

Ali thanked his "many wonderful teachers" for a valuable lesson. "It's not about you," he recalled being told, but about serving the stories and the characters he's playing.

Davis won for her portrayal of a mother determined to hold her family together despite the rages of her husband, who is played by best actor nominee Denzel Washington.

The Oscar win comes in a role that Davis previously won a Tony Award for when she starred opposite Washington in a Broadway revival of "Fences." The film is the first big-screen adaptation of an August Wilson play.

Barry Jenkins' "Moonlight" — not, as it turned out, "La La Land" — won best picture at the Academy Awards in a historic Oscar upset and an unprecedented fiasco that saw one winner swapped for another while the "La La Land" producers were in mid-speech.

Davis said in her acceptance speech, "Here's to August Wilson who exhumed and exalted the ordinary people." She also praised Washington and her parents, breaking down in tears.

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