Twenty years after his first nomination, Will Smith finally won his first Oscar – awarded for best actor in a leading role for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena.

While accepting the Best Actor award, Will Smith said, "Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. In this time in my life, at this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world." The actor broke down while talking about the film. He added, "I want to apologise to Academy and fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment. I am not crying for winning an award."

The other actors nominated in this category were Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick Boom!), and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth).

King Richard is the origin story of the Williams sisters. The film sees Smith playing Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams who went to great lengths to push his daughters to pursue their tennis greatness.

Smith's performance in King Richard was his third Oscar nomination, after Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness. Smith has won a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, a Critics Choice Award and the Screen Actors Guild Award for this role. He will next be seen in Antoine Fuqua’s runaway slave thriller “Emancipation,” and recently announced plans to reprise one of his most iconic roles in an “I Am Legend” sequel.