87th Academy Awards - wikipedia 87th Academy Awards 87th Academy Awards Official poster Date February 22, 2015 Site Dolby Theatre Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris Preshow hosts Jess Cagle Robin Roberts Lara Spencer Michael Strahan Joe Zee Directed by Hamish Hamilton Highlights Best Picture Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) Most awards Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) and The Grand Budapest Hotel ( 4 ) Most nominations Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) and The Grand Budapest Hotel ( 9 ) TV in the United States Network ABC Duration 3 hours, 43 minutes Ratings 37.26 million 20.6 % ( Nielsen ratings ) ← 86th Academy Awards 88th → The 87th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ), honored the best films of 2014 and took place on February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5 : 30 p.m. PST / 8 : 30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards ( commonly referred to as Oscars ) in 24 categories. The ceremony was televised in the United States by ABC, produced by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Actor Neil Patrick Harris hosted the ceremony for the first time. In related events, the Academy held its 6th Annual Governors Awards ceremony at the Grand Ballroom of the Hollywood and Highland Center on November 8, 2014. On February 7, 2015, in a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by hosts Margot Robbie and Miles Teller. Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) and The Grand Budapest Hotel each won four awards, with the former film earning the Best Picture honor. Other winners include Whiplash with three and American Sniper, Big Hero 6, Boyhood, Citizenfour, Crisis Hotline : Veterans Press 1, Feast, Ida, The Imitation Game, Interstellar, The Phone Call, Selma, Still Alice, and The Theory of Everything with one. The telecast garnered more than 37 million viewers in the United States. Contents 1 Winners and nominees 1.1 Awards 1.2 Governors Awards 1.3 Films with multiple nominations and awards 2 Presenters and performers 2.1 Presenters 2.2 Performers 3 Ceremony information 3.1 Box office performance of nominated films 3.2 Criticism regarding lack of diversity 3.3 Critical reception 3.4 Ratings and reception 4 In Memoriam 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links Winners and nominees Actor Chris Pine and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs ( left ) and directors J.J. Abrams and Alfonso Cuarón ( right ) at the 87th Academy Awards nominations announcement The nominees for the 87th Academy Awards were announced on January 15, 2015, at 5 : 30 a.m. PST ( 13 : 30 UTC ), at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by directors J.J. Abrams and Alfonso Cuarón, Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and actor Chris Pine. For the first time, nominations for all 24 competitive categories were announced. Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) and The Grand Budapest Hotel tied for the most nominations with nine each. The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on February 22, 2015. For the first time since the expansion of the Best Picture nominee roster at the 82nd ceremony in 2010, every Best Picture nominee won at least one award. Birdman was the first film to win Best Picture without an editing nomination since Ordinary People ( 1980 ). Alejandro G. Iñárritu became the second consecutive Mexican to win for Best Directing after Cuarón who won for helming Gravity. At age 84, Robert Duvall was the oldest male acting nominee in Oscar history. Having won for his work on Gravity the year before, Emmanuel Lubezki became the fourth person to win two consecutive Best Cinematography awards. John Toll was the last one who accomplished this feat for his work on 1994 's Legends of the Fall and 1995 's Braveheart. Awards Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Best Director winner and Best Original Screenplay co-winner Eddie Redmayne, Best Actor winner Julianne Moore, Best Actress winner J.K. Simmons, Best Supporting Actor winner Patricia Arquette, Best Supporting Actress winner Graham Moore, Best Adapted Screenplay winner Paweł Pawlikowski, Best Foreign Language Film winner Laura Poitras, Best Documentary Feature co-winner Alexandre Desplat, Best Original Score winner Common, Best Original Song co-winner John Legend, Best Original Song co-winner Milena Canonero, Best Costume Design winner Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger ( ). Best Picture Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) -- Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, and James W. Skotchdopole American Sniper -- Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper, and Peter Morgan Boyhood -- Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland The Grand Budapest Hotel -- Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson The Imitation Game -- Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, and Teddy Schwarzman Selma -- Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner The Theory of Everything -- Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, and Anthony McCarten Whiplash -- Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, and David Lancaster Best Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu -- Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) Richard Linklater -- Boyhood Bennett Miller -- Foxcatcher Wes Anderson -- The Grand Budapest Hotel Morten Tyldum -- The Imitation Game Best Actor Eddie Redmayne -- The Theory of Everything as Stephen Hawking Steve Carell -- Foxcatcher as John Eleuthère du Pont Bradley Cooper -- American Sniper as Chris Kyle Benedict Cumberbatch -- The Imitation Game as Alan Turing Michael Keaton -- Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) as Riggan Thomson Best Actress Julianne Moore -- Still Alice as Alice Howland Marion Cotillard -- Two Days, One Night as Sandra Bya Felicity Jones -- The Theory of Everything as Jane Wilde Hawking Rosamund Pike -- Gone Girl as Amy Elliott - Dunne Reese Witherspoon -- Wild as Cheryl Strayed Best Supporting Actor J.K. Simmons -- Whiplash as Terence Fletcher Robert Duvall -- The Judge as Judge Joseph Palmer Ethan Hawke -- Boyhood as Mason Evans, Sr. Edward Norton -- Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) as Mike Shiner Mark Ruffalo -- Foxcatcher as Dave Schultz Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette -- Boyhood as Olivia Evans Laura Dern -- Wild as Bobbi Grey Keira Knightley -- The Imitation Game as Joan Clarke Emma Stone -- Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) as Sam Thomson Meryl Streep -- Into the Woods as The Witch Best Original Screenplay Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) -- Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Armando Bo Boyhood -- Richard Linklater Foxcatcher -- E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman The Grand Budapest Hotel -- Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness Nightcrawler -- Dan Gilroy Best Adapted Screenplay The Imitation Game -- Graham Moore based on the book Alan Turing : The Enigma by Andrew Hodges American Sniper -- Jason Hall based on the book by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice Inherent Vice -- Paul Thomas Anderson based on the novel by Thomas Pynchon The Theory of Everything -- Anthony McCarten based on the book Travelling to Infinity : My Life with Stephen by Jane Wilde Hawking Whiplash -- Damien Chazelle based on his short film Best Animated Feature Film Big Hero 6 -- Don Hall, Chris Williams, and Roy Conli The Boxtrolls -- Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable, and Travis Knight How to Train Your Dragon 2 -- Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold Song of the Sea -- Tomm Moore and Paul Young The Tale of the Princess Kaguya -- Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura Best Foreign Language Film Ida ( Poland ) in Polish -- Directed by Paweł Pawlikowski Leviathan ( Russia ) in Russian -- Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev Tangerines ( Estonia ) in Estonian and Russian -- Directed by Zaza Urushadze Timbuktu ( Mauritania ) in French -- Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako Wild Tales ( Argentina ) in Spanish -- Directed by Damián Szifron Best Documentary -- Feature Citizenfour -- Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky Finding Vivian Maier -- John Maloof and Charlie Siskel Last Days in Vietnam -- Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester The Salt of the Earth -- Wim Wenders, Lélia Wanick Salgado and David Rosier Virunga -- Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara Best Documentary -- Short Subject Crisis Hotline : Veterans Press 1 -- Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry Joanna -- Aneta Kopacz Our Curse -- Tomasz Śliwiński and Maciej Ślesicki The Reaper -- Gabriel Serra Arguello White Earth -- J. Christian Jensen Best Live Action Short Film The Phone Call -- Mat Kirkby and James Lucas Aya -- Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis Boogaloo and Graham -- Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney Butter Lamp -- Hu Wei and Julien Féret Parvaneh -- Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger Best Animated Short Film Feast -- Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed The Bigger Picture -- Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees The Dam Keeper -- Robert Kondo and Daisuke Tsutsumi Me and My Moulton -- Torill Kove A Single Life -- Joris Oprins Best Original Score The Grand Budapest Hotel by Alexandre Desplat The Imitation Game by Alexandre Desplat Interstellar by Hans Zimmer Mr. Turner by Gary Yershon The Theory of Everything by Jóhann Jóhannsson Best Original Song `` Glory '' from Selma -- Music and Lyrics by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn `` Everything Is Awesome '' from The Lego Movie -- Music and Lyrics by Shawn Patterson `` Grateful '' from Beyond the Lights -- Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren `` I 'm Not Gonna Miss You '' from Glen Campbell : I 'll Be Me -- Music and Lyrics by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond `` Lost Stars '' from Begin Again -- Music and Lyrics by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois Best Sound Editing American Sniper -- Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) -- Martin Hernández and Aaron Glascock The Hobbit : The Battle of the Five Armies -- Brent Burge and Jason Canovas Interstellar -- Richard King Unbroken -- Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro Best Sound Mixing Whiplash -- Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley American Sniper -- John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, and Walt Martin ( posthumous nomination ) Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) -- Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and Thomas Varga Interstellar -- Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker, and Mark Weingarten Unbroken -- Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and David Lee Best Production Design The Grand Budapest Hotel -- Production Design : Adam Stockhausen ; Set Decoration : Anna Pinnock The Imitation Game -- Production Design : Maria Djurkovic ; Set Decoration : Tatiana Macdonald Interstellar -- Production Design : Nathan Crowley ; Set Decoration : Gary Fettis Into the Woods -- Production Design : Dennis Gassner ; Set Decoration : Anna Pinnock Mr. Turner -- Production Design : Suzie Davies ; Set Decoration : Charlotte Watts Best Cinematography Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) -- Emmanuel Lubezki The Grand Budapest Hotel -- Robert Yeoman Ida -- Łukasz Żal and Ryszard Lenczewski Mr. Turner -- Dick Pope Unbroken -- Roger Deakins Best Makeup and Hairstyling The Grand Budapest Hotel -- Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier Foxcatcher -- Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard Guardians of the Galaxy -- Elizabeth Yianni - Georgiou and David White Best Costume Design The Grand Budapest Hotel -- Milena Canonero Inherent Vice -- Mark Bridges Into the Woods -- Colleen Atwood Maleficent -- Anna B. Sheppard Mr. Turner -- Jacqueline Durran Best Film Editing Whiplash -- Tom Cross American Sniper -- Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach Boyhood -- Sandra Adair The Grand Budapest Hotel -- Barney Pilling The Imitation Game -- William Goldenberg Best Visual Effects Interstellar -- Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher Captain America : The Winter Soldier -- Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill, and Dan Sudick Dawn of the Planet of the Apes -- Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, and Erik Winquist Guardians of the Galaxy -- Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner, and Paul Corbould X-Men : Days of Future Past -- Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie, and Cameron Waldbauer Governors Awards The Academy held its 6th Annual Governors Awards ceremony on November 8, 2014, during which the following awards were presented : Honorary Academy Awards Jean - Claude Carrière -- Whose elegantly crafted screenplays elevate the art of screenwriting to the level of literature. Hayao Miyazaki -- A master storyteller whose animated artistry has inspired filmmakers and audiences around the world. Maureen O'Hara -- One of Hollywood 's brightest stars, whose inspiring performances glowed with passion, warmth and strength. Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Harry Belafonte -- For a lifetime of demonstrating how art is ennobled by ceaseless courage and conscience. Films with multiple nominations and awards Films that received multiple nominations Nominations Film 9 Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) The Grand Budapest Hotel 8 The Imitation Game 6 American Sniper Boyhood 5 Foxcatcher Interstellar The Theory of Everything Whiplash Mr. Turner Into the Woods Unbroken Guardians of the Galaxy Ida Inherent Vice Selma Wild Films that received multiple awards Awards Film Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) The Grand Budapest Hotel Whiplash Presenters and performers The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers. Presenters Name ( s ) Role Fox, Cedering Cedering Fox Announcer for the 87th annual Academy Awards Nyong'o, Lupita Lupita Nyong'o Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor Neeson, Liam Liam Neeson Presenter of the films The Grand Budapest Hotel and American Sniper on the Best Picture segment Johnson, Dakota Dakota Johnson Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee `` Lost Stars '' Lopez, Jennifer Jennifer Lopez and Chris Pine Presenter of the award for Best Costume ! Presenters of the award for Best Costume Design Witherspoon, Reese Reese Witherspoon Presenter of the award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling Tatum, Channing Channing Tatum Introducer of the six winners of the Team Oscar contest Ejiofor, Chiwetel Chiwetel Ejiofor and Nicole Kidman Presenter of the award for Best Foreign Language Film ! Presenters of the award for Best Foreign Language Film MacLaine, Shirley Shirley MacLaine Presenter of the films Boyhood, The Theory of Everything and Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) on the Best Picture segment Cotillard, Marion Marion Cotillard Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee `` Everything is Awesome '' Bateman, Jason Jason Bateman and Kerry Washington Presenter of the award for Best Live Action ! Presenters of the awards for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Documentary ( Short Subject ) Davis, Viola Viola Davis Presenter of the segment of the Honorary Academy Awards and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Paltrow, Gwyneth Gwyneth Paltrow Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee `` I 'm Not Gonna Miss You '' Robbie, Margot Margot Robbie and Miles Teller Presenter of the segment of the Academy Award for Technical Achievement ! Presenters of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award Chris Evans Chris Evans and Sienna Miller Presenter of the award for Best Sound ! Presenters of the awards for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing Leto, Jared Jared Leto Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress Hutcherson, Josh Josh Hutcherson Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee `` Grateful '' Elgort, Ansel Ansel Elgort and Chloë Grace Moretz Presenter of the award for Best Visual Effects ! Presenters of the award for Best Visual Effects Hart, Kevin Kevin Hart and Anna Kendrick Presenter of the award for Best Animated Short ! Presenters of the award for Best Animated Short Film Johnson, Dwayne Dwayne Johnson and Zoe Saldana Presenter of the award for Best Animated Feature ! Presenters of the award for Best Animated Feature Film Isaacs, Cheryl Boone Cheryl Boone Isaacs ( AMPAS president ) Special presentation highlighting the benefits of film and creativity Pratt, Chris Chris Pratt and Felicity Jones Presenter of the award for Best Production Design ! Presenters of the award for Best Production Design Chastain, Jessica Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba Presenter of the award for Best Cinematography ! Presenters of the award for Best Cinematography Streep, Meryl Meryl Streep Presenter of the In Memoriam tribute Cumberbatch, Benedict Benedict Cumberbatch and Naomi Watts Presenter of the award for Best Film Editing ! Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing Howard, Terrence Terrence Howard Presenter of the films Whiplash, The Imitation Game, and Selma on the Best Picture segment Aniston, Jennifer Jennifer Aniston and David Oyelowo Presenter of the award for Best Documentary Feature ! Presenters of the award for Best Documentary Feature Spencer, Octavia Octavia Spencer Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee `` Glory '' Menzel, Idina Idina Menzel John Travolta Presenter of the award for Best Original Song ! Presenters of the award for Best Original Song Johansson, Scarlett Scarlett Johansson Introducer of The Sound of Music 50th anniversary tribute and the performance of `` The Sound of Music '', `` My Favorite Things '', `` Edelweiss '' and `` Climb Ev'ry Mountain '' Andrews, Julie Julie Andrews Presenter of the award for Best Original Score Murphy, Eddie Eddie Murphy Presenter of the award for Best Original Screenplay Winfrey, Oprah Oprah Winfrey Presenter of the award for Best Adapted Screenplay Affleck, Ben Ben Affleck Presenter of the award for Best Director Blanchett, Cate Cate Blanchett Presenter of the award for Best Actor McConaughey, Matthew Matthew McConaughey Presenter of the award for Best Actress Penn, Sean Sean Penn Presenter of the award for Best Picture Jump up ^ Introduced as `` Glom Gazingo '' in this segment Performers Name ( s ) Role Performed Oremus, Stephen Stephen Oremus Musical arranger and Conductor Orchestral Harris, Neil Patrick Neil Patrick Harris, Kendrick, Anna Anna Kendrick and Black, Jack Jack Black Performers `` Moving Pictures '' during the opening segment Maroon 5, Maroon 5 Performers `` Lost Stars '' from Begin Again Tegan and Sara, The Lonely Island, Arnett, Will Will Arnett, ? uestlove, and Mark Mothersbaugh Performers `` Everything Is Awesome '' from The Lego Movie McGraw, Tim Tim McGraw Performer `` I 'm Not Gonna Miss You '' from Glen Campbell : I 'll Be Me Ora, Rita Rita Ora Performer `` Grateful '' from Beyond the Lights Hudson, Jennifer Jennifer Hudson Performer `` I Ca n't Let Go '' during the annual In Memoriam tribute Common Common and John Legend Performers `` Glory '' from Selma Gaga, Lady Lady Gaga Performer `` The Sound of Music '', `` My Favorite Things '', `` Edelweiss '', and `` Climb Ev'ry Mountain '' from The Sound of Music Ceremony information Neil Patrick Harris hosted the 87th Academy Awards. Riding on the success of the previous year 's ceremony which garnered its highest viewership figures in over a decade, the Academy rehired producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan for the third consecutive year. `` Their showmanship has elevated the show to new heights and we are excited to keep the momentum going with this creative partnership, '' said AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs in a press release announcing the selection. In October 2014, actor Neil Patrick Harris, who previously hosted four Tony Awards ceremonies between 2009 and 2013 and two Primetime Emmy Awards telecasts in 2009 and 2013, was chosen as host of the 2015 gala. Meron and Zadan explained their decision to hire the television and theatre star saying, `` We are thrilled to have Neil host the Oscars. We have known him his entire adult life, and we have watched him explode as a great performer in feature films, television and stage. To work with him on the Oscars is the perfect storm, all of his resources and talent coming together on a global stage. '' Harris expressed that it was truly an honor and a thrill to be asked to host Academy Awards commenting, `` I grew up watching the Oscars and was always in such awe of some of the greats who hosted the show. To be asked to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, and everyone else who had the great fortune of hosting is a bucket list dream come true. '' Shortly after his selection, several reports were released indicating that DeGeneres and other comedians such as 2005 ceremony host Chris Rock and actress Julia Louis - Dreyfus declined the offer to host the program, and Harris was a last - minute choice as emcee. Nevertheless, both Meron and Zadan denied such allegations and insisted that Harris was their only choice saying, `` After every Oscar show there is always a discussion as to who will host the next one. Many names are discussed and sometimes even floated without there being any formal offers. At times, these casual discussions take on a life of their own, and some are eager to break a story without knowing the facts. Neil Patrick Harris received the Academy 's formal offer. '' Several other people were also involved with the production of the ceremony. Stephen Oremus served as musical director and conductor for the event. Derek McLane returned to design a new set and stage design for the show. During the ceremony, actor Channing Tatum introduced a group called `` Team Oscar '', which consisted of six young film students from colleges across the country selected by AMPAS whose role was to deliver Oscar statuettes to the presenters during the gala. Oscar - winning husband - and - wife songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson - Lopez composed Harris 's opening number entitled `` Moving Pictures ''. Musicians Questlove and Mark Mothersbaugh and actor Will Arnett made cameos during the performance of Best Original Song nominee `` Everything Is Awesome ''. Box office performance of nominated films North American box office gross for Best Picture nominees Film Pre-nomination ( Before Jan. 16 ) Post-nomination ( Jan. 16 - Feb. 22 ) Post-awards ( After Feb. 22 ) Total American Sniper $3.4 million $316 million $30.1 million $350 million Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) $26.6 million $11.2 million $4.6 million $42.3 million Boyhood $24.4 million $942,668 $36,767 $25.3 million The Grand Budapest Hotel $59.1 million N / A N / A $59.1 million The Imitation Game $42.8 million $41.1 million $7.2 million $91.2 million Selma $16.6 million $33.0 million $2.5 million $52.1 million The Theory of Everything $26.2 million $7.9 million $1.8 million $35.9 million Whiplash $6.2 million $5.1 million $1.8 million $13.1 million For the first time since 2007, none of the Best Picture nominees had grossed $100 million before the nominations were announced ( compared with three from the previous year ). The combined gross of the eight Best Picture nominees at the American and Canadian box offices was $205 million, with an average of $25.6 million per film. None of the eight Best Picture nominees was among the top fifty release in box office during nominations. When the nominations were announced on January 15, 2015, The Grand Budapest Hotel was the highest - grossing film among the Best Picture nominees with $59.1 million in domestic box office receipts. The Imitation Game was the second - highest - grossing film with $42.7 million ; this was followed by Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) ( $26.6 million ), The Theory of Everything ( $26.2 million ), Boyhood ( $24.3 million ), Selma ( $16.5 million ), Whiplash ( $6.2 million ), and finally American Sniper ( $3.3 million ). Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 23 nominations went to 13 films on the list. Only Big Hero 6 ( 9th ), How to Train Your Dragon 2 ( 16th ), Gone Girl ( 17th ), and Into the Woods ( 25th ) were nominated for Best Picture, Best Animated Feature or any of the directing, acting or screenwriting awards. The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations were Guardians of the Galaxy ( 1st ), Captain America : The Winter Soldier ( 3rd ), The Lego Movie ( 4th ), Maleficent ( 6th ), The Hobbit : The Battle of the Five Armies ( 7th ), X-Men : Days of Future Past ( 8th ), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ( 10th ), Interstellar ( 15th ), and Unbroken ( 27th ). Criticism regarding lack of diversity Shortly after the nominations were announced, many media outlets observed that there was a lack of racial diversity amongst the nominees in major categories. According to Tatiana Segel of The Hollywood Reporter, this was the second time since 1998 that all 20 acting nominees were of Caucasian descent. The New York Times columnist David Carr pointed out the omission of Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo in directing and lead acting categories. He also noted that these nominations were in contrast to last year 's ceremony which included Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave and Best Supporting Actress winner Lupita Nyong'o. As a result, the Academy was ridiculed over social media with hashtags such as # OscarsSoWhite and # WhiteOscars. In addition, U.S. Congressman Tony Cárdenas wrote a letter voicing his concern regarding AMPAS and diversity stating, `` While the issue of diversity in the entertainment industry is a much deeper problem, without an easy solution, it is unfortunate to see such a revered American institution fail to fully reflect our nation. '' He went on to say that he was willing to work with Academy officials in better making the entertainment industry more representative of different ethnicities. In response to criticism about lack of diversity, AMPAS president Isaacs told reporter Sandy Cohen of Associated Press that the Academy was `` committed to seeking out diversity of voice and opinion. '' Despite refraining from commenting whether the organization was embarrassed by the lack of diversity, she stated that she was proud of all the nominees and praised Selma as a `` fantastic motion picture. '' Several days before the awards gala, the National Action Network led by civil rights activist Al Sharpton and several other organization planned to demonstrate near the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre before and during the telecast. However, the protest was canceled in light of DuVernay pleading with civil rights leaders to instead pursue a direct dialogue with Academy leadership. Critical reception The show received a mixed reception from media publications. Some media outlets were more critical of the show. HitFix television columnist Alan Sepinwall commented, `` It ran on and on and on and on so much that when host Neil Patrick Harris finally got around to paying off a running gag about his Oscar predictions being locked in a box on stage left, he had to stop to explain the bit to us all over again. '' In addition, he observed, `` Either the production consumed Harris, the writing failed him, or he picked a very strange night to go off - brand. '' Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel wrote, `` Harris headlined a blah production number to start the show. His running shtick about Oscar predictions grew tiresome. '' He concluded his review saying, `` The music saved this Oscar telecast, but it was still a long, tedious show. The highlight reel will make it look better than it was. '' Television critic Alessandra Stanley from The New York Times said, `` Oscar nights almost always drag on too long, but this one was a slog almost from the very beginning. '' She also quipped, `` The political speeches were somber, but they turned out to be more lively and bracing than any of Harris ' skits. '' Other media outlets received the broadcast more positively. Television critic Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe commented, `` Neil Patrick Harris was very Neil Patrick Harrisy Sunday night in his first round as Oscars host. He was calm and cheerful and vanilla as usual, always ready with a lightly snarky joke and always eager to jump into a big production number involving old - timey choreography. He 's a pro at hosting, after his Tony and Emmy gigs, and it showed during the ABC telecast in his endlessly relaxed and open energy. '' He also wrote despite several production gaffes and an uneven pace, the show moved along `` with a minimum of pain. '' The Times - Picayune columnist Dave Walker wrote, `` Harris played it like he was basically born to do it -- light on his feet working the crowd or at center stage without his pants, winkingly self - deprecating, moving - right - along when his prepared material did n't land ( which was too often ) -- and he now may have a job for life if he wants it. '' Furthermore, praised the cast and several musical numbers from the show. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter quipped, `` Harris displayed winning charm and appealing insouciance, sprinkling the gags with moments of self - deprecation. '' In addition, he remarked that several of the acceptance speeches and musical numbers provided a mix of humor, fun, and sincerity. Ratings and reception The American telecast on ABC drew in an average 37.26 million people over it length, which was a 15 % decrease from the previous year 's ceremony. An estimated 63 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards. The show also earned lower Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 20.6 % of households watching over a 33 share. In addition, the program scored a lower 18 -- 49 demo rating with an 11.0 ratings over a 26 share. It was the lowest viewership for an Academy Awards telecast since the 81st ceremony held in 2009. In July 2015, the ceremony presentation received eight nominations for the 67th Primetime Emmys. The following month, the ceremony won one of those nominations for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camera Work, and Video Control for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special ( Technical Directors : Eric Becker, Rick Edwards, John Pritchett, and Rod Wardell ; Cameras : Rob Balton, Danny Bonilla, Robert Del Russo, David Eastwood, Suzanne Ebner, Pat Gleason, Ed Horton, Marc Hunter, Jay Kulick, Brian Lataille, Tore Livia, Steve Martyniuk, Lyn Noland, Rob Palmer, David Plakos, Camera, Jofre Romero, Danny Webb, Mark Whitman, and Easter Xua ; Video Control : Terrance Ho, Guy Jones, and Keith Winikoff ). In Memoriam The annual In Memoriam segment was presented by actress Meryl Streep. The montage featured an excerpt of the `` Love Theme '' from Sophie 's Choice by Marvin Hamlisch. At the conclusion of the tribute, singer Jennifer Hudson performed the song `` I Ca n't Let Go '' from the television series Smash. Mickey Rooney Paul Mazursky Geoffrey Holder Nadia Bronson James Garner Elizabeth Peña Alan Hirschfield Edward Herrmann Maya Angelou Lorenzo Semple, Jr. George L. Little James Rebhorn Menahem Golan James Shigeta Anita Ekberg Paul Apted H.R. Giger Sanford E. Reisenbach Malik Bendjelloul Virna Lisi Louis Jourdan Gordon Willis Richard Attenborough Oswald Morris Tom Rolf L.M. Kit Carson Ruby Dee Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. Martha Hyer Andrew V. McLaglen Jimmy T. Murakami Robin Williams William Greaves Joseph Viskocil Rod Taylor Stewart Stern Luise Rainer Dick Smith Lauren Bacall Walt Martin Charles Champlin Pennie Dupont Herb Jeffries Misty Upham Eli Wallach Gabriel García Márquez Frank Yablans Alain Resnais Bob Hoskins Mike Nichols See also Academy Award portal 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards 35th Golden Raspberry Awards 57th Grammy Awards 67th Primetime Emmy Awards 68th British Academy Film Awards 69th Tony Awards 72nd Golden Globe Awards List of submissions to the 87th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film Notes A ^ : American Sniper opened in wide release on January 16, where it became the number - one film at the American box office for three consecutive weekends. The film eventually became the highest grossing film at the American and Canadian box office released in 2014. References Jump up ^ `` Harris seems to be working on EGOT ''. Orlando Sentinel. Nancy Meyer. October 16, 2014. p. A2. 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Official websites Academy Awards Official website The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Official website Oscar 's Channel at YouTube ( run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ) News resources Oscars 2015 BBC News Oscars 2015 The Guardian Analysis 2014 Academy Awards Winners and History Filmsite Academy Awards, USA : 2015 Internet Movie Database Other resources The Oscars ( 2015 ) on IMDb Academy Awards Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) Records Most wins per ceremony Oscar season Governors Awards Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Pre-show Awards of Merit Best Picture Director Actor Actress Supporting Actor Supporting Actress Adapted Screenplay Original Screenplay Animated Feature Documentary Feature Foreign Language Film Animated Short Film Documentary Short Subject Live Action Short Film Cinematography Costume Design Film Editing Makeup and Hairstyling Original Score Original Song Original Musical Production Design Sound Editing Sound Mixing Visual Effects Special awards Governors Awards Academy Honorary Award Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Academy Scientific and Technical Awards Academy Award of Merit ( non-competitive ) Scientific and Engineering Award Technical Achievement Award John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation Gordon E. Sawyer Award Student Awards Student Academy Award Former awards Merit Awards Assistant Director Dance Direction Director of a Comedy Picture Engineering Effects Short Subject, Two - reel Short Subject, Comedy Short Subject, Novelty Story Title Writing Unique and Artistic Quality of Production Special Awards Academy Juvenile Award Special Achievement Academy Award Ceremonies ‡ ( List Book ) 1927 / 28 1928 / 29 1929 / 30 1930 / 31 1931 / 32 1932 / 33 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 2017 Footnotes ‡ Dates and years listed for each ceremony were the eligibility period of film release in Los Angeles County, California. For the first five ceremonies, the eligibility period was from August to July. For the 6th ceremony held in 1934, the eligibility period lasted from August 1, 1932 to December 31, 1933. Since the 7th ceremony held in 1935, the period of eligibility became the full previous calendar year from January 1 to December 31. 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Question: which film won the best picture award in 87th academy award ceremony
Answer: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)