The 96th Academy Awards were held on March 10, 2024, and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the fourth time, following the 2017, 2018, and 2023 Oscars. This year marked the debut of a phenomenon known as "Barbenheimer," or "Barbieheimer," consisting of endless memes pairing the movies "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." Despite winning at the box office, "Barbie" failed to win any Oscars, while "Oppenheimer" took home seven Academy Awards, including "Best Picture." "Killers of the Flower Moon" director Martin Scorsese surpassed Steven Spielberg, breaking the record for the most "Best Picture" nominations. This was also the fifth consecutive year with at least one "Best Picture" nominee directed by a woman.

The ceremony ran smoothly inside, despite the protest outside of the venue, where hundreds of people gathered to speak out against what the organizers had termed as Hollywood's "active support of U.S.-funded Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza."

There were some memorable moments for the audience, including wrestler John Cena's Streaker bit and President Trump's criticism of Kimmel on social media.