Mahershala Ali's Oscar 2017 Acceptance Speech

Mahershala Ali is the 2017 Oscar Winner for Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as Juan in MOONLIGHT. After taking the stage, the actor took the opportunity to thank his teachers. "Wow, I want to thank my teachers, my professors – I had so many wonderful teachers and one thing they consistently told me is that it's not about you. It's about these characters," says Ali. "I'm so blessed to have had an opportunity." This is Ali's first Oscar nomination and win. Other nominees for Actor in a Supporting Role this year include Jeff Bridges, Lucas Hedges, Dev Patel and Michael Shannon. Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander presented Ali with the Oscar.

As Juan, Mahershala Ali portrays a Cuban-born drug dealer living in Miami who becomes a surrogate father to a bullied youngster and tries to instill confidence in him. MOONLIGHT received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

View the full list of 2017 Oscar winners.