Sam Smith wins best original song Oscar as academy confronts race row

Smith and Napes beat out Lady Gaga and Diane Warren’s “Til It Happens to You”; The Weeknd’s “Earned It” (Fifty Shades of Grey); “Simple Song #3” (Youth), composed by David Lang and performed by South Korean soprano Sumi Jo; J. Ralph and Anohni’s “Manta Ray” (Racing Extinction).

Smith apparently misread or misremembered the recent Guardian interview in which McKellen said that no openly gay man had ever won the Oscar for best actor.

An emotional Sam took to the stage with Jimmy at the 88th Academy Awards and paid tribute to all of the other nominees he was up against, including Lady Gaga. He has, however, won four Grammys, two Brit Awards, a Golden Globe, several Billboard Music Awards and a BET Award.

Smith walked the red carpet with his writing partner Jimmy Napes, who is also nominated tonight.

Earlier in the show, Smith thrilled the audience and fans with a dramatic performance of the song.

‘I stand here tonight as a proud gay man and I hope we can stand here one day as equals, thank you very much’.

Sam Smith has arrived at the 2016 Oscars!

Last year, Common and John Legend took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Glory”. “Gaga you’re in credible”, he said while accepting the award.

“I also got to talk about something I have been obsessed with – the environment and climate change – on a platform with hundreds of millions of people watching worldwide”.

“I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest, but…it’s going to be fun”.

Smith: I’m a melancholy person, so I feel like when you go through a happy moment that’s incredible, then afterward the only way is down a little bit. We are overwhelmed, I can’t even speak.