Yalies enjoyed a successful Sunday night with a string of nominations and awards at the 86th Academy Awards.

The first Yale success of the night was Lupita Nyong’o DRA ’12. She won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Patsey, a distressed young slave, in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” the winner of Best Picture. Nyong’o was cast in the role three weeks before her graduation from the Yale School of Drama.

Nyong’o said in her acceptance speech, “No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.” Then, exciting Yalies across campus, her speech ended with a shout-out to the Yale School of Drama. Sunday was also Nyong’o’s 31st birthday.

The Oscar excitement did not end there. Robert Lopez ’97 received the Academy Award for Best Original Song. “Let It Go.” The staple song of the hit movie “Frozen” was written by Lopez and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez. The award has led Lopez to become the 12th person in history to accomplish an “EGOT” – receiving awards at the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tonys. Lopez has finished the EGOT in a record ten years. Lopez was a member of Jonathan Edwards College, and of the undergraduate a cappella group “The Spizzwinks.”

Meryl Streep ’75 M.F.A., ’83 DFA (Hon.), who recently spoke to graduates at the Yale School of Drama, celebrated her eighteenth nomination for her role in August: Osage County – more than any other actress in history.

In addition, Thomas Newman ’77 MUS ’78 composed the score for “Saving Mr Banks,” which was nominated for Best Original Score. Adam Stockhausen DRA’99 was nominated for “12 Years a Slave” for Production Design.