9.15am (UAE time)
The 2010 Academy Awards are over! Here is a list of the winners:
Best Film: The Hurt Locker
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, Blind Side
Best Foreign Language Film: The Secret In their Eyes, Argentina
Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Animated Feature Film: Up
Original Song: The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart) from Crazy Heart, Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
Best original score: Michael Giacchino, Up
Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker
Animated Short Film: Logorama
Best Documentary Feature: The Cove
Documentary (short subject): Music by Prudence
Live Action Short Film: The New Tenants
Makeup: Star Trek
Adapted Screenplay: Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious; Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Art Direction: Avatar
Costume: The Young Victoria
Sound Editing: The Hurt Locker
Sound Mixing: The Hurt Locker
Cinematography: Avatar
Best Visual Effects: Avatar
9.00am
The Hurt Locker has won best picture at the Academy Awards, taking the film’s total haul to six awards, including best director for Kathryn Bigelow.
In depth: Oscars 2010
In an unusual turn of events, presenter Tom Hanks read out the name of the winner without reading the nominees, before Bigelow had even had time to leave the stage with her best director award. She returned, visibly shocked, to the stage, and again thanked men and women in uniform – including firemen.
8.55am
Kathryn Bigelow has become the first female director to win an Academy Award.
She said, “There really is no other way to describe it.. it is the moment of a lifetime.”
8.50am
Sandra Bullock has won for best actress for The Blind Side. She’s looking very emotional as she collects her first Oscar. “Did I just wear you all down?” She described the last month as “an incredible ride” and shared her award with her fellow nominees and the people who “showed me kindness was it wasn’t fashionable. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I know.” She also paid tearful tribute to her mother, Helga – and yet still managed to end on a comical note – thanking “my lover, Meryl Streep”.
8.45am
And now for the ladies… talking up The Blind Side’s Sandra Bullock is Forest Whitaker, who directed her in Hope Floats and described “her magical quality”. Michael Sheen – her co-star in The Queen, gave props to The Last Station’s Helen Mirren (he loves her tattoo!), while Gabourey Sidibe was lucky enough to have the queen of all media, Oprah Winfrey – reminding everyone that a girl who skipped school to audition for a film is now in the same category as Meryl Streep - and Carey Mulligan’s two-time co-star Peter Sarsgaard told her, “sorry, I’m married”. Stanley Tucci declared his love for Streep – and told us something we don’t know – “kindness, collaborative nature and good humour” although he accused her of unseemly selfishness in the area of awards nominations.
8.35am
Jeff Bridges has won the award for best performance by an actor in a leading role.
Bridges, receiving his first Oscar for his role as country singer in Crazy Heart, held it to the sky and said, “mum and dad, look! My dad and my mum they loved showbiz so much. This is honouring them as much as it is me.“ The audience gave him a standing ovation – and he gave yet another shout-out to the film’s songwriter T-Bone Burnett.
8.30am
We’re finally in big awards territory - best actor. The Academy has brought in co-stars for each of the nominees to talk them up. It’s quite touching and only mildly nauseating: Michelle Pfeiffer for Jeff Bridges, Vera Farmiga for George Clooney, Julianne Moore for Colin Firth, Tim Robbins for Morgan Freeman and Colin Firth - looking good and sober, although he recounts a drinking story - for Jeremy Renner.
8.15am
The first surprise of the night – the best foreign film award has gone to El Secreto De Sus Ojos, an Argentine film. The favourites were Un Prophete and White Ribbon. The director thanked the Academy – for “not considering Na’avi a foreign language”. And then his speech was drowned out by the music – come on, English is not his first language! Cut the guy some slack.
8.10am
Four for Hurt Locker! The Iraq War film pulls ahead of Avatar again, with an award for best film editing.
8.05am
Matt Damon, presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature, is introduced as a star who started off as a scriptwriter and become an action star – “the first time a scriptwriter got any action,” according to Baldwin. Incidentally, why are Martin and Baldwin not around anymore? They were doing a cracking job, but the tightly-run show doesn’t feature them enough!
The Cove – a film about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan - has won the documentary award.
8.00am
Though there was some very stiff competition from the likes of District 9 and Star Trek, there was really only one winner for the visual effects award: Avatar.
Avatar is now neck and neck with Hurt Locker – can it pull ahead?
7.55am
The award for best original score has gone to Up - the second award tonight for the animated film. Michael Giacchino accepted the award.
7.50am (UAE time)
So, who’s leading the field? So far, it’s a three-man field between Precious, Avatar and its main rival, The Hurt Locker.
The Hurt Locker has three awards: Sound editing, sound mixing, and best original screenplay for Mark Boal - who is currently being sued over the story.
Avatar has two: Art direction and cinematography.
Precious has two: Best supporting actress for Mo’Nique and Adapted Screenplay.
7.40am
In memoriam: James Taylor did an acoustic backing track as the names of those in the industry who’ve died in the last year, along with photos and clips of their work, are screened. There’s a ripple of gentle handclaps for Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy and Karl Malden especially.
7.35am
Second win for Avatar, this time in Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography – as predicted, they are picking up the technical awards.
That’s three to The Hurt Locker, two to the rival Avatar.
7.30am
Second and third award for The Hurt Locker – this time for Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing to Paul N. J. Ottoson.
7.25am
Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart are introducing a segment on – what else? – horror. But not horrific teen flicks: the real thing – Nosferatu, Htichcock, Gary Oldman’s Dracula and Jaws, The Shining, The Exorcist and Scream. Great – we love horror, and sat here shrieking at each clip. But what was the point, other than giving the teen favourites airtime? Oh, that was the point… Well, it was worth it for the superb take off of Paranormal Activity that found Baldwin and Martin in bed together.
7.15am
Who better to present the award for best costume design than Sarah Jessica Parker and Tom Ford? They handed the award to Sandy Powell for The Young Victoria. It’s her third win and eighth nomination.
She dedicated her award to costume designers who don’t work on “dramas about queens and sparkly musicals”.
7.05am
First Oscar for Avatar. Sigourney Weaver recalled her earlier film with Avatar director James Cameron – Aliens – and how the stunning sets were subsequently destroyed by the rampaging extraterrestrials. So it was with no small amount of joy that she presented the award for Outstanding Art Direction to Avatar – the first award for the film, which is nominated for eight others.
7.00am
Mo'Nique - the favourite - has won the best supporting actress Oscar for her role as the abusive mother in Precious, one of the night’s big awards.
“First, I would like to thank the Academy for showing it can be about the performance and not the politics. I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel [the first African-American to win an Oscar] for enduring. Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, because you touched it the world saw it. Thank you for showing me that sometimes you have to forgo what’s popular for what’s right.”
6.55am
In case the Oscars themselves don’t give you enough of stars patting each other on the back, Queen Latifah introduced a reel from the recent Governor’s Honorary Award function, where Lauren Bacall and Roger Corman were feted by their peers. The duo also received a standing ovation from the Oscars audience. Share the love!
6.50am
It’s Precious’ first award of the night! Geoffrey Fletcher breathlessly accepts the award for his screenplay, an adapatation of the novel Push by Sapphire, and can barely squeeze his thank yous out. Is he impersonating Marlon Brando’s Godfather? Steve Martin later quips “I wrote that speech for him”.
6.45am (UAE time)
Ben Stiller – as he had been rumoured to do – poked fun at Avatar, with a Na’avi costume, including blue face, braid and a long tail, which he said he wanted to plug into James Cameron’s “dragon”. Cameron grinned good naturedly. Stiller was presenting the award for best make up, although Avatar itself was not nominated. The award went to Star Trek, accepted by Barney Berman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow. They thanked the over 40 make up artists who worked on the film.
6.40am
Best short film goes to The New Tenants by Joachim Black and Tivi Magnussen.
6.35am
The award for best documentary short was won by Music By Prudence. Award accepted by Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett.
6.30am
Logorama, produced by Nicholas Schmerkin, won the Oscar for best animated short film.
“It took about six years to make a sixteen minute film, so I hope to come back here with a long feature in about 30 years.”
6.20am
Molly Ringwald and Matthew Broderick led a tribute to the late director John Hughes. The pair appeared in some of his biggest films, Pretty In Pink and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off respectively. Ringwald’s emotions contrasted with the plucky Broderick, who said he still gets called Ferris Bueller every day.
After a reel of his work – from Home Alone to Sixteen Candles and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. A handful of the stars his films helped make famous – including a visibly-moved Macauley Culkin, an aged Judd Nelson and pregnant Ally Sheedy – paid tribute to a director who worked with young actors and treated them like “developing adults”.
6.15am
The award for best original screenplay has gone to Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker, the first award for the film which is nominated for 8 other awards, including best picture.
“You honour me and humble me more than you know. I was a reporter back from Iraq with a story about these men on the front lines of an unpopular war.”
He dedicated his award to “one extraorginary visionary, Kathryn Bigelow”, and to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
6.05am
The award for best original song has gone to Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett for the film Crazy Heart. It’s the first Oscar and second nomination for Burnett.
5.55am
The Academy Award for best animated feature has gone to Up. Director and writer of the film Pete Docter accepted the award.
“Never did I dream making a flip book out of my third grade mathbook would lead to this. It was an incredible adventure making this movie.
5.45am (UAE time)
Christophe Waltz has won his first Academy award, as best supporting actor for his role as Col Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds.
“Oscar and Penelope – that’s an unber-bingo. I was introduced to Quentin Tarantino, who put this script in front of me. Everybody helped me find a place. Quentin, with his unorthodox methods of navigation, this fearless explorer took this ship and brought it in with flying colours and that’s why I’m here”
5.35am
The two presenters didn’t waste any time, and got straight into teasing the nominees, from insinuating that Kathryn Bigelow had given James Cameron a ticking gift basket and he had reciprocated with a Toyota.
A highlight was George Clooney’s stone-faced act – surely a pre-planned routine from the notorious prankster?
5.30am
The show began with the best actress and actor nominees on the stage, with Gabourey Sidibe posing heavily, before Neil Patrick Harris’ opening musical number. “I know – you’re all wondering what I’m doing here,” said the Emmys host, before breaking into a traditional song-and-dance style number, “Nobody Wants to Do It Alone.”
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have descended from the ceiling and introduced each other to the audience.
“Everyone wants an Oscar and they are very hard to get.”
“6,000 members of the Academy vote, they all get tabulated and counted by Pricewaterhouse coopers. And then Meryl Streep gets nominated.”
5.00am
Sandra Bullock: “It’s all fantastic. All the moments leading up to this… you have to enjoy every moment. I’m just gonna enjoy the ride.”
And after?
“I’m thinking a nice juicy burger, some nice deep, deep-fried fries, maybe double fried, and maybe a milkshake of some kind. I’m not hungry now. I’m just always hungry.”
Teen favourite Zac Efron will be presenting an award: “I never dreamed I would have these opportunities. I got lucky, I feel like I snuck in. Adam [Shankman, the Oscars choreographer and director of Efron-starrer Hairspray] got me in.”
Helen Mirren and Chrisopher Plummer, both nominated in the acting categories for The Last Station: “We’re over 14 and you can still have fun over 14,” said Plummer of the role which sees a grown-up love story.
“He could laugh at my bad back and I could laugh at his bad knees,” added Mirren, who is wearing Badgley Mishka.
Morgan Freeman – who appeared to have injured his left hand, which was encased in a glove - his daughter and the film’s producer wore bracelets which will be auctioned off to raise funds for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Jennifer Lopez is in a pale pink Armani Prive gown with a gigantic ruffle on the side – a theme for the evening. “I feel good and very happy and we always have fun.”
Her tip for a great Oscar dress? “You have to be able to walk around in it all night!”
“I really loved Precious, it was very tough at times but I felt it was an amazing story of being able to overcome something.”
Sarah Jessica Parker, in Chanel couture, was, of course, talking fashion.
“I have to give the dress back tomorrow!”
Remembering her first time at the Oscars, she remarked: “I wore a dress that Calvin Klein made for me, it was rather short and incredibly simple and I still have it. It was black and I had a diamond cuff on each wrist.”
Cameron Diaz: “Our community is all spread out, so [the Oscars are] an opportunity to see everyone’s faces,” said Diaz, who wore a pale, strapless Oscar de la Renta gown in an unusually grown-up look.
The star, who will be presenting was torn between two films for best picture. “I loved Avatar… but I loved Hurt Locker!”
You can tell because everyone is tall and better looking. We’re a couple who goes on a date and it gets crazy messed up.
Kate Winslet, presenting the award for best actor at the awards ceremony, can relax after winning last year.
“It’s nice to watch everyone else panic.”
Taylor Lautner: “It’s totally surreal to be here after watching it on tv, it’s an honour. I had to get a suit. Not too much. It’s gonna be a great night.”
4.55am
The stars are all being ushered away from the red carpet and into the tent-covered area where television interviews are taking place.
4.50am
It’s been 15 years since his last nomination – for Pulp Fiction – and so Quentin Tarantino is happy to be humble.
“It’s a little surprising - it’s a gratifying surprise. I am aware of the situation that I have and how lucky I am.”
He was happy to promote his star Christophe Waltz, who is nominated in the best supporting actor category.
“That character is one of the greatest I’ve ever written and ever will write. I didn’t know if there was anyone that could play it, when I found him it was like, this character is gonna go from the page to the screen.”
4.55am (UAE time)
Best actress nominee Gabourey Sidibe, for Precious, in a navy dress was like an excited teenager. “Am I the belle of the ball? Yay me! Yes I do look hot.”
“I’m really excited. I’m looking at it like it’s the prom. It’s pretty awesome!”
4.50am
Nominated for best actor for Up in the Air, he’s been quiet on the awards circuit this season, drawing more attention to himself for his work fundraising for Haiti. But George Clooney appeared to be loving his time on the Oscars red carpet – spending plenty of time signing autographs for fans at the end of the street who didn’t make it into the main fan area. He was accompanied by his Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis.
He commented on the fact that Up in the Air has got so many people talking. “It’s better that people want to talk about the film after than go out for Chinese food after!”
He stressed that his expertise lies in fundraising rather than personally helping people in Haiti.
“I didn’t start out as a Haiti expert, I started out as a telethon expert. I know how to raise a lot of money very quickly. But [Haiti is] going to require years and years of attention.”
4.45am
Best-actor favourite Jeff Bridges would love to talk about: Crazy Heart. “It’s one of my favourite movies I’ve ever seen or been involved in.
“It was such a great thing, with my old buddy T-Bone Burnett and this great director Scott Cooper.”
What would his father, actor Lloyd bridges, have to say if he were still alive? “He’d say: ‘atta boy!’”
4.40am
Matt Damon, nominated for best supporting actor for rugby tale Invictus, arrived for the first time with heavily-pregnant wife Luciana.
“We’ve been together for 7 years and I figured it was about time,” he said of bringing the mother of two.
4.35am
Jake Gyllenhaal was on the red carpet to support his sister Maggie, nominated for best supporting actress in Crazy Heart.
“She always reminds me you have to stop and stay in the moment and appreciate where you are. I’m regurgitating her info back on her.”
Next up for him is Prince of Persia.
“It’s huge, so much fun and I’m so excited for everyone to see it. It’s in the vein of and old school movie but with the latest technology. I’m a pretty tough critic and I love the movie.”
4.35am
Best actress nominee Carey Mulligan, wearing a black strapless gown decorated with tiny knife-and-fork cut outs, had one aspect of her style she didn’t want people to copy: her pixie-cut hair. “Don’t get the Carey Mulligan haircut, I’m trying to grow it out!”
“I’ve only been doing film for five minutes,” said the star of An Education. “For me it’s just a coming of age story that everyone relates to. It’s the best cast of the year.”
She’s getting plenty of attention for her next film too:
“Wall Street is coming out in April!"
4.30am
In a tight silver-grey dress, best-director nominee Kathryn Bigelow, up for Iraq-War drama The Hurt Locker, wished her fellow nominees the best – including her ex-husband, James Cameron.
“I wish him well. I’m so excited to be here.”
Like the star of her film Jeremy Renner, she had a shout out for US troops. “I’d like people to think about the troops and not forget about them. Come home safe!”
4.25am
Soon to be seen as a superhero in The Green Lantern, actor Ryan Reynolds reflecting on working with best-actress nominee Sandra Bullock.
“Sandy is one of the kindest, most generous, enlightened, self deprecating people I know. I know that might be boring. If she happened to be attractive she’d be the complete package.”
4.20am
With his mother Valerie as his date, best actor nominee Jeremy Renner took time on the red carpet to thank American soldiers serving around the world. He plays a bomb disposal specialist in Katherine Bigelow’s Hurt Locker. “ Hey ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your service.”
His mother said it “is the most wonderful feeling in the whole world. He’ll always be my baby boy. His world changed. I’m very ready and very excited for it.”
4.15am
For first-time nominee Christophe Waltz – for best supporting actor as notorious “Jew-Hunter” Col Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds - it’s a unique, first time experience. What’s your perspective? “This is the Oscars. The Oscars gives you a perspective, it isn’t a perspective.”
Tarantino has been quoted saying that Waltz’s casting was instrumental in the film getting made at all.
“There’s nothing I could comment on that. It’s one of the biggest compliments I’ve ever gotten. I’m grateful to him.”
4.10am (UAE time)
In a maroon-pink gown with a giant ruffle on the front, best-supporting actress nominee for Up In The Air Vera Farmiga trotted out a typical truism: “I think we’re all winners.”
“We’ve been so blessed to do this hand in hand.”
Referring to her fellow nominees in the category, who include her co-star Anna Kendrick – Farmiga said “it’s a great group of gals. Maggie [Gyllenhaal, a fellow nominee] is a great friend of mine.”
What’s up next?
“I just finished a film with James Khan, it’s a zany comedy.”
4.05am
Sandra Bullock stood out from a sea of maroon in a silver-grey shimmering re-embroidered lace, cap sleeve dress.
“I was trying to find the calming element today,” she said. “I’ve met so many people. We’re all in this crazy business. Most of them are so down to earth. I’ve had such a sweet time.”
Nominated for best actress, the people’s favourite said she was relaxed on the night. Perhaps collecting her Razzie for worst actress on Saturday had calmed her nerves.
“I’m relaxed now. What can go wrong,? Well, lots but there’s nothing you can do about it. There’s no competition, you have to release how lucky we are.”
4.00am
On a night known as much for fashion as for film, designer-turned-director Tom Ford was happy to stay on the movie side of the fence. His film A Single Man has brought its star, Colin Firth, a best actor nomination – and Ford, originally famous for turned around Italian label Gucci with his sexy designs – acclaim in a new field.
“I loved making this and I can’t wait to make the next one,” he said. “I never believed in letting fear stop you from doing something you want to do.”
As to whether he had his fashion eye out, he stayed resolutely in film. “Believe it or not, not tonight. You’ve gotta be yourself, but I’m really here for film tonight.”
3.50am
James Cameron’s muse Sigourney Weaver arrived in a one-shouldered Bordeaux dress, thanking fans for making her film Avatar a global success.
“We’ve done a couple of tours and the response have been overwhelming. People have told me how emotional it was.” She’ll soon have something else to talk about, though.
“I have about 4 movies coming in the next year so I will be changing soon. But I’ll always be happy to talk about Avatar.”
3.45am
Mo’Nique, in a crisscross, drape blue dress, declined to show her legs on the red carpet this year, but said she was just enjoying her time in the limelight. The comedienne is up for best supporting actress for her role as an abusive mother in Precious.
“I just want to remember the moment,” she said. She’ll soon be touring the US.
“It is the Mo’Nique spread the love tour. All we wanna do it bring the love.”
3.30am (UAE time)
James Cameron’s wife Suzy Amis wore a blue dress designed by a school she sponsors, while Cameron himself sported a blue silk pocket square in his suit in apparent tribute to the Na’Avi, the blue race of aliens he created in Avatar.
The director, whose film is up for nine Academy Awards, including best picture, said he had nothing to lose. We’ve been nominated with nine, I look at it as a celebration of what we do as movie makers.
“When people see a movie once it’s a tribute to the marketing campaign. When they see it twice it means they’ve been moved and as a director that’s what matters. There’s nothing to lose. “
