The Academy Awards are the biggest night of the year in film, celebrating the best the past year has had to offer in film – the acting, the direction, the artistry.

The 2013 Academy Awards, also known as “the Oscars,” aired on Sunday, Feb. 24th. Prior to the actual airing of the ceremony, there was quite a bit of controversy over the choice of the host this year, “Family Guy” creator and director of the summer comedy hit “Ted” Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane is (in)famous for his controversial and blue comedic style, a major concern for an event as high-profile and classy as the Oscars.

Worries aside, when it came to actually delivering at the ceremony, MacFarlane actually did a solid job of entertaining. There were the occasional “dude, not funny” jokes that did not land on the basis of their subject matter (the one that comes to mind first is a Rihanna/Chris Brown domestic abuse jab), but overall it was an entertaining and sing-songy evening, aided by MacFarlane’s surprisingly talented singing voice (although less surprising if you watch one of his shows, in which he sings regularly).

Most of the awards given to the winners throughout the evening were well-warranted – Anne Hathaway winning “Best Supporting Actress” for her outstanding performance as Fantine in “Les Miserables,” Christoph Waltz “Best Supporting Actor” for “Django Unchained,” Jennifer Lawrence “Best Actress” for “Silver Linings Playbook,” and Daniel Day-Lewis “Best Actor”, for his mesmerizing portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in “Lincoln.”

One of the highlights of the evening was the musical medley performance, including Catherine Zeta-Jones returning to the role of Velma Kelly from “Chicago.” I was literally squealing as she performed “And All That Jazz.”

The show was also a ratings success, drawing in an average of 40.3 million people, a 3% increase from last year

Despite the initial concerns, all in all it was a solidly entertaining year for the Academy Awards.