Kathryn Bigelow has made history, becoming the first woman to win an Academy Award for best director. Her film, The Hurt Locker, has been named Best Picture.
Bigelow’s film follows the dangerous daily existence of a US Army bomb squad. It earned six Oscars, including one for Mark Boal’s original screenplay, based on his time as a journalist embedded with such a unit.
"‘There is no other way to describe it - it’s the moment of a lifetime,’" Bigelow said, her voice quivering.She dedicated the award to the military men and women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world: ‘‘May they come home safe.’"
Bigelow was the fourth woman nominated for the prize, following Sofia Coppola for 2003’s Lost in Translation, Jane Campion for 1993’s The Piano and Lina Wertmuller for 1975’s Seven Beauties.
Bigelow beat ex-husband James Cameron, who was up for directing the sci-fi blockbuster Avatar - and she’d been sitting directly in front of him all night during the Oscar ceremony.
Much has been made about the former spouses competing against each other, but their split was amicable and the two since have supported each other professionally.
As Bigelow’s victory was announced, Cameron could be seen clapping and saying, ‘‘Yes, yes’’.
Backstage, reporters repeatedly tried to coax her to dish on her ex, but she was abidingly diplomatic.
"‘I think he’s an extraordinary filmmaker,’" she said, when asked what it was like to beat him.
Earlier, Jeff Bridges has won best actor for his role as a down-and-out singer in Crazy Heart.
And Sandra Bullock has picked up the best actress award for her role as an open-hearted Christian mum in The Blind Side.
The best supporting actor award also went to the favourite, Christoph Waltz, for his role in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.
Best supporting actress was Mo'Nique, who had been highly favoured to win for her powerful role in the drama Precious.
Precious took out its first anticipated award for best adapted screenplay. Likewise, The Hurt Locker took out its first award of the night when writer Mark Boal received the Oscar for best screenplay.
Beating Avatar for sound mixing and sound editing gave The Hurt Locker an early edge in the struggle for Oscars supremacy.
But Avatar fought back with best cinematography (Mauro Fiore) best art design (Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg and Kim Sinclair) and best visual effects (Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R Jones).
Then Hurt Locker won again, for best editing (Bob Murawski and Chris Innis). By then it was on a roll.
Australia's hopes of an Oscar were dashed, however, and all four contenders left empty handed.
The live action category was one of Australia's few hopes this year, with Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey nominated for their film Miracle Fish.
But first we had to wait for best animated short, which went to Nicolas Shmerkin for his film Logorama and best short documentary, which went to Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett for Music by Prudence.
After all that, Miracle Fish didn't win. The award went to Joachim Back and Tivi Mugnusson for The New Tenants.
Our hope for best costume design, Janet Patterson for Bright Star, was pipped at the post by Sandy Powell for her work in another period piece, The Young Victoria.
District 9 producer, Australian Carolynne Cunningham, also left empty-handed.
The second award of the evening went to Pete Docter for best animated feature film for his movie Up. Michael Giacchino received best original score, also for Up.
The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) picked up best foreign language film for Argentina.
Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens received best documentary for The Cove.
Star Trek took out the award for best make-up, presented by a Na'vi-fied Ben Stiller.
Fashion Editor Janice Breen Burns reviews all the fashion from this years Red Carpet arrivals at the Oscars.
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THE WINNERS
BEST PICTURE
"The Hurt Locker"
ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mo'Nique, "Precious"
DIRECTOR
Ka thryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
ANIMATED FEATURE
"Up"
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"The Hurt Locker"
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"Precious"
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos"
BEST FILM EDITING
"The Hurt Locker"
ART DIRECTION
"Avatar"
CIN EMATOGRAPHY
"Avatar"
C OSTUME DESIGN
"The Young Victoria"
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"The Cove"
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
"Music by Prudence"
MAKEUP
"Star Trek"
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
"Up"
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
"The Weary Kind (Theme from "Crazy Heart") from "Crazy Heart"
SHORT FILM, ANIMATED
"Logorama"
SH ORT FILM, LIVE ACTION
"The New Tenants"
SOUND EDITING
"The Hurt Locker"
SOUND MIXING
The Hurt Locker"
VISUAL EFFECTS
"Avatar"
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