It finally happened! Last year, we were praying to all the gods that may Leonardo DiCaprio be blessed with his first Oscar. Our prayers were clearly answered so we tried the same thing today and would you look at that, it worked this time too. But we can’t take all the credit.

Joaquin Phoenix ended his losing streak at the Academy Awards and won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Arthur Fleck in Joker. The 45-year-old earlier swooped a BAFTA, Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award this year for his performance. He was up against the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Adam Driver (Marriage Story), Antonio Banderas (Pain & Glory) and Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes).

Phoenix used this opportunity to have his speech include subjects like racism, gender inequality and climate change. He ended his speech by remembering his late brother, River Phoenix. “When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric. He said, ‘run to the rescue with love and peace will follow’,” Phoenix said.