Some thought it should have been nominated for Best Picture.
Videos by American Songwriter
But no matter, Questlove brought home his Oscar for Best Documentary at the 2022 Academy Awards for his 2021 directorial debut, Summer Of Soul.
What made the moment even that much more interesting was that it was the first award presented after the sure-to-be-infamous Will Smith-Chris Rock Slap Heard ‘Round The World.
Quest, talking about his family during the acceptance speech, was reduced to tears in the moment.
Twitter user Melissa Castro posted a link to the speech, writing, “The Summer of Soul doc was amazing. Congrats @questlove on your Academy Award & THANK YOU for helping to get those recordings out of a basement for all to see!”
Summer Of Soul was truly one of the most talked about and memorable movies of 2021. The documentary, which featured never-before-seen footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, portrayed a region, a culture and a beautiful music festival.
That footage had been sitting in a basement ever since the summer festival in the late ’60s. Thanks to Questlove and the film’s producers, it got to see the light of day again. And what a light.
Bands showcased in the movie included Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, The 5th Dimension, The Staple Singers, Sly & The Family Stone and Gladys Knight & the Pips.
Questlove, of course, is the drummer and co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group The Roots. He and the band are also prominently featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The movie had already won a slew of awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Film.
Watch a trailer for the film and see Questlove’s full acceptance speech below.
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
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