Milwaukee duo SistaStrings perform at the Oscars; ‘Oppenheimer’ wins big
The golden opportunities keep coming for Milwaukee duo SistaStrings.
Two months after Chauntee and Monique Ross performed with Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile on the Grammys, the sisters appeared on the Academy Awards Sunday night. They performed as part of a string quartet that ushered in the telecast’s In Memoriam segment, set to “Time To Say Goodbye,” performed by Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo, which was reimagined for the Oscars with famed film composer Hans Zimmer.
SistaStrings are primarily known for their work in Brandi Carlile’s backing band since 2022, which has included performing on “Saturday Night Live” and in stadiums as an opener for Pink last year.
Since leaving Milwaukee for Nashville in 2020, they have performed in Allison Russell’s band; won Instrumentalist of the Year at the Americana Music Awards last September; and last month had some artifacts included at the American Currents Gallery at the Country Music Hall of Fame. They are also working on their own album that Carlile is producing.
‘Oppenheimer’ is top winner
The 96th Academy Awards were full of songs, emotional speeches and surprises — including some nudity courtesy of John Cena.
Christopher Nolan’s atomic bomb biopic “Oppenheimer” went into the evening with the most nominations and left with the most awards. Out of 13 nods, it won seven trophies, including best picture. Dark comedy “Poor Things” had four wins, including Emma Stone’s best actress award.
Among the movies that were shut out: Martin Scorsese’s crime epic “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which had 10 nominations but no wins.
The winners were:
Picture: “Oppenheimer”
Actress: Emma Stone, “Poor Things”
Actor: Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”
Supporting actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”
Supporting actor: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”
Director: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”
Original song: “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” (Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell)
Original score: “Oppenheimer”
(Ludwig Göransson)
Documentary: “20 Days in Mariupol”
International film: “The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom)
Animated film: “The Boy and the Heron”
Original screenplay: “Anatomy of a Fall” (Justine Triet and Arthur Harari)
Adapted screenplay: “American
Fiction”
Documentary short film: “The
Last Repair Shop”
Film editing: “Oppenheimer” Visual effects: “Godzilla Minus One”
Costume design: “Poor Things” Production design: “Poor Things” Makeup and hairstyling: “Poor Things”
Sound: “The Zone of Interest” Live-action short film: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”
Cinematography: “Oppenheimer” (Hoyte van Hoytema)
Animated short film: “WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko”
USA TODAY contributed to this story.