88th Academy Awards — award ceremony presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for achievement in filmmaking in 2015
The 88th Academy Awards recognized 2015 films, with Spotlight winning Best Picture and Leonardo DiCaprio winning his first Oscar after five prior nominations.
Key Facts
- Ceremony Date
- February 28, 2016
- Venue
- Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles
- Categories Awarded
- 24
- Most Awards Won
- Mad Max: Fury Road (6 awards)
- U.S. Viewership
- 34.42 million viewers
- Host
- Chris Rock (2nd time hosting)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences evaluates films released in the prior calendar year. For the 88th ceremony, eligible films were those released in 2015, with members nominating and voting across 24 competitive categories to determine honorees.
The 88th Academy Awards took place on February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, hosted by Chris Rock and broadcast on ABC. Spotlight won Best Picture, Mad Max: Fury Road led all films with six wins, and The Revenant claimed Best Director for Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio.
The ceremony drew 34.42 million U.S. viewers. Leonardo DiCaprio's long-awaited first Oscar win became a widely noted cultural moment. Spotlight's Best Picture win, achieved with only one additional award, was historically unusual, echoing a pattern last seen with The Greatest Show on Earth decades earlier.