Last night, Apple’s “CODA” made history on a couple of fronts. It won the first streaming Best Picture Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. CODA is a movie watched mostly through Apple TV+. To win the award, “CODA” beat Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog,” which was the other leading contender in the category.
In addition to making history in the streaming industry, “CODA” also became the first film with a predominantly deaf cast to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. And star Troy Kotsur, who won Best Supporting Actor, is the first deaf male actor to win an Oscar.
Writer-director Siân Heder also received an Oscar under the Best Adapted Screenplay category.
Its three Oscars last night marks the first time Apple’s streaming service has won an Academy Award.
“On behalf of everyone at Apple, we are so grateful to the Academy for the honors bestowed on ‘CODA’ this evening,” said Zack Van Amburg, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “We join our teams all over the world in celebrating Siân, Troy, the producers, and the entire cast and crew for bringing such a powerful representation of the deaf community to audiences, and breaking so many barriers in the process.”
In addition to the Academy Award honors, "CODA" has received numerous history-making accolades since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021, where the Apple Original Film was honored with an unprecedented four awards, including the Grand Jury Prize. "CODA" is the first top Sundance winner to achieve an Oscar for Best Picture.
Since the debut of Apple TV+ just over two years ago, Apple’s series and films have earned 240 wins and 953 nominations. Last fall, “Ted Lasso” won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Meanwhile, Apple’s streaming competitor Netflix garnered just one Oscar last night — Jane Campion won Best Director for “The Power of the Dog.”