Cillian Murphy, who played the lead role, won the Oscar for best actor.

A three-hour historical drama about science and politics, “Oppenheimer” became an unlikely box office hit and grossed $953.8 million, in addition to widespread critical praise.

It was the first of Nolan’s films to win best picture. The director has previously won acclaim for “The Dark Knight” Batman trilogy, “Inception,” “Memento” and other movies.

“Oppenheimer” triumphed over feminist doll adventure “Barbie,” a movie it had battled in a box office showdown dubbed “Barbenheimer.” Other best picture contenders included “The Holdovers,” a dramedy set in a New England boarding school, and the Holocaust tale “The Zone of Interest.”

Full list of Oscar winners

BEST PICTURE: “Oppenheimer”

BEST ACTOR: Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”

BEST ACTRESS: Emma Stone, “Poor Things”

BEST DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “American Fiction”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: “Anatomy of a Fall”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: “The Boy and the Heron”

BEST ANIMATED SHORT: “War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko”

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE: “The Zone of Interest,” United Kingdom

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: “20 Days in Mariupol”

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: “The Last Repair Shop”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: “Oppenheimer”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: “What Was I Made For?,” “Barbie”

BEST SOUND: “The Zone of Interest”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: “Poor Things”

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: “Oppenheimer”

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: “Poor Things”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: “Poor Things”

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: “Godzilla Minus One”

BEST FILM EDITING: “Oppenheimer”