LOS ANGELES — Leading up to the 88th Academy Awards, there was more of a focus on division and race-related omissions than the lavish spectacle of the red carpet and the awards themselves. But when the lights went up, several celebs who took the stage used their moment to bring attention to a variety of causes, ushering in an era of brave voices and social progress.

Ceremony host Chris Rock began the night by injecting some much needed humor to the party, both by making light of the #OscarsSoWhite boycotts but also joking that the "In Memoriam" portion of the show was "just going to be black people shot by the cops on the way to the movies."

Vice President Joe Biden also made an appearance, issuing a call to action to change the culture of rape on college campuses with the "It's On Us" campaign, as he introduced a performance by Lady Gaga that shook the crowd and viewers at home. Gaga brought sexual assault survivors on stage to join her in a courageous embrace as she sang her Oscar-nominated song, "Til It Happens To You."

Grammy winner Sam Smith took home the Oscar for Best Original Song, and dedicated it to the LGBT community across the world, saying he hopes "we can all stand together as equals one day."

Leonardo DiCaprio finally captured that elusive first Oscar for Best Actor. With his acceptance speech, DiCaprio urged the world to understand the importance of supporting leaders who will act on climate change, and speak for all of humanity to save our planet.

To cap off the evening, the movie Spotlight, based on the true story of a Boston-area journalistic investigation into child sex abuse at the hands of the Roman Catholic Church, surprised everyone by winning Best Picture.

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