Apple TV+ film "CODA" has won Best Picture at the 94th Academy Awards, becoming the first film from a streaming service to ever win the award.
Academy Award for Best Picture category:
- "Belfast"
- "CODA" — Winner
- "Don't Look Up"
- "Drive My Car"
- "Dune"
- "King Richard"
- "Licorice Pizza"
- "Nightmare Alley"
- "The Power of the Dog"
- "West Side Story"
"CODA" cast and crew also won multiple Academy Awards. Troy Kotsur became the first deaf male actor to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, while "CODA" writer and director Siân Heder won in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.
"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 co-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."
"CODA" revolves around a young woman named Ruby, the sole hearing member of a deaf family. Using sign language, Ruby acts as an interpreter for her parents while working for her family's struggling fishing boat business. After joining her high school's choir club, Ruby finds herself torn between family obligations and pursuing her dreams.
Ruby is played by Emilia Jones, with other family members played by Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, and Daniel Durant.
Apple acquired the rights to "CODA" for a reported $25 million after the film premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The film, produced by Vendome Pictures and Pathé, has been streaming on Apple TV+ since August 2021.
