Ever since the birth of motion pictures in the 1890s, movies have continuously inspired, entertained, and moved us. The 88^th Academy Awards, which took place on Sunday, February 28, honored the year’s greatest cinematic achievements from the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center in Los Angeles.

Hosted by comedian Chris Rock, the show immediately addressed the #OscarsSoWhite controversy concerning a lack of diversity in Hollywood. In fact, the pressing issue became the focus of many jokes throughout the night. He deftly managed to elicit laughs on the difficult subject with his cutting humor and incisively emphasized the root of the problem: an insufficient amount of opportunities for actors of color. Prerecorded segments also poked fun at the topic, including a highly amusing parody video that inserted Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rock himself into several of the nominated films.

The more serious side of the matter was addressed by Kevin Hart, who gave a compelling speech that acknowledged the actors of color who were neglected this year. He ended on an encouraging note, saying, “These problems of today will eventually become problems of the old. Let’s not let this negative issue of diversity beat us, let’s continue to do what we do best.” Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs also took the stage and implored the industry to be more inclusive for its global audiences.

This year, the awards were presented in a special order intended to follow the filmmaking process. The post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road dominated in six technical categories. Although most of us would probably disregard the perceivably unexciting award for Best Documentary (Short Subject), no one can ignore presenter Louis C.K.’s brilliantly hilarious piece that highlighted the category’s significance and satirized Hollywood’s affluence, joking that for the for the winner of the seemingly trivial category, the tiny golden statue would be the “nicest thing they’ll ever own in their life.” He then announced Mad Max in jest before naming A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness as the recipient. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary depicts the true story of Saba, an eighteen-year-old Pakistani woman who was nearly the victim of the country’s custom of honor killings.

As predicted by many, Pixar’s vibrant Inside Out earned Best Animated Feature Film. Bridge of Spies’ Mark Rylance and The Danish Girl’s Alicia Vikander topped the other nominees to earn their respective awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Brie Larson from Room then took home the little golden man for Best Actress.

Perhaps the most talked about result from the show is the end of an era of Oscarless Leonardo DiCaprio quips as the actor finally won his first Oscar for his performance in The Revenant, which also earned Alejandro Iñárritu Best Director. However, Tom McCarthy’s drama Spotlight unexpectedly took home the biggest award for Best Picture, beating Iñárritu’s harrowing tale of survival and revenge.

The ceremony was notably fast-paced, and a ticker at the bottom of TV screen displayed winners’ “Special Thanks” in order to allow for meaningful speeches. Leonardo DiCaprio fervently reflected on environmental responsibility in the wake of climate change, while The Big Short director Adam McKay called on viewers to stop voting for politicians sponsored by big money. Upon accepting the Oscar for Best Original Song for Spectre’s “Writing’s on the Wall,” Sam Smith dedicated the award to the LGBT+ community.

There were also many lighthearted moments throughout the night, including an appearance made by the Star Wars droids C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8. The adorable nine year-old actor Jacob Tremblay stood on top of a box along with Beasts of No Nation’s Abraham Attah to introduce Best Live Action Short Film. And although there was no pizza delivered (like in the Oscars hosted by Ellen DeGeneres in 2014), Chris Rock sold his daughter’s Girl Scout cookies to the wealthy audience members.

The ceremony marked the culmination of another year of movies: one with no shortage of exceptional artistry and yet wracked by controversy. If there’s one key takeaway from the industry in 2015, it is that the crucial issue of representation for all groups has finally been brought to light. Let’s hope that Hollywood keeps moving forward to ensure opportunity for performers of color—so that we may all dream in gold.