Sam Smith is having an incredible year already, and he hasn't even put out an album. At Sunday night's Oscars, the 23-year-old singer and his songwriting partner Jimmy Napes took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Writing's on the Wall" from the hit James Bond film "Spectre," which they also won a Golden Globe for last month.
During his moving and emotional acceptance speech, Smith called for equality and cited actor Ian McKellen's recent comments about gay actors being "disregarded by the film industry."
"I read an article a few months ago by Sir Ian McKellen, and he said that no openly gay man had never won an Oscar," Smith said. "If this is the case - even if it isn't the case - I want to dedicate this to the LGBT community all around the world...I stand here tonight as a proud gay man, and I hope we can all stand together as equals one day."
Shortly after Smith made the speech, people on Twitter were quick to inform him that he was not in fact the first openly gay man to win an Oscar and that McKellen was referring specifically to openly gay actors, not just openly gay winners in any category, according to E! News. In fact, three openly gay singers have won in this very category. Melissa Etheridge won it in 2007, Elton John in 1994 and Stephen Sondheim in 1991. Classical composer John Corigliano won Best Original Score in 1999, and songwriter Howard Ashman won Best Original Song twice before he passed in 1991.
The list goes on and on as several other openly gay Oscar winners have taken home the prestige award in non-musical categories, as well, including Sir John Gielgud, Bill Condon, Alan Ball, Pedro Almodovar, Scott Rudi and most recently, Dustin Lance Black. Black, who won Best Original Screenplay for "Milk" in 2009, took to Twitter following Smith's win to call him out for his false statement.
Hey @SamSmithWorld, if you have no idea who I am, it may be time to stop texting my fiancé. Here's a start: https://t.co/8hGTRtIaMK
— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) February 29, 2016
"Hey @SamSmithWorld, if you have no idea who I am, it may be time to stop texting my fiancé," he tweeted alongside a video of his acceptance speech. "Here's a start."
The 41-year-old writer/director has been engaged to Olympic diver Tom Daley since October, according to People. Black's speech was also an emotional one as he mentioned equality and the LGBT community saying, "To all the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have told that they have been less than by churches or by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures that are valued. And that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours."
Smith found out that he wasn't the first openly gay Oscar winner as soon as he went back stage after accepting the award when one of the reporters informed him that two other men, Ashman and Black, had previously won, according to USA Today.
"S--t. F--k that," Smith said, but then continued to get more serious. "It means the world to me. When I read the Ian McKellen piece I was just bowled over by it. I wanted to take this opportunity to show how much I care about my community. In the past in my career people had said that I didn't...We're just completely overwhelmed. We can't even speak. I'm a little bit drunk as well."
