Oscars 2018: 'Shape of Water' wins best film

This year has proven to be a time of representation and many, many firsts. And so was movie's biggest night in 2018; from huge wins for Mexico to massive support for women. From remarks about the Dreamers -  undocumented minors with temporary protection in the US - to diversity and change, Hollywood stars focused on paradigm shifts. Gulf News tabloid! followed the A-listers through the night, from their walk down the red carpet to the conversations about the #TimesUp movement and rise of diversity in Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre. Here's a blow by blow account of  what went down (all UAE local time). For the complete list of winners, click here.

Trolled last year for getting the name of best picture winner wrong, the duo has been given another chance. Can they pull it off? Yes they can.

And the winner is.... The Shape of Water! The movie has won four Oscars tonight.

Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence name the best actress: Frances McDormand, for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. She leaves the audience with a message of empowerment. Two words: "inclusion rider".

Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren announce the award for Best Actor: Gary Oldman, for Darkest Hour. In his speech, Oldman expresses gratitude to his mum, who will be "99 years young" next birthday. He says: "Thank you for your love and support. Put the kettle on, I'm bringing Oscar home."

She issues the award for the best director to Guillermo Del Toro for The Shape of Water. Del Toro speaks out, in his acceptance speech, about the unifying impact of the movie industry, urging all members - in an emotional voice - that they help it continue to do so. 

Eddie Vedder pays tribute to all the stars the world lost this past year with a song from the late Tom Petty, Room At The Top. Indian yesteryear actor Shashi Kapoor is part of this list.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emily Blunt hand over the prize for Best Song to Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who wrote the music and lyrics for Coco's Remember Me.

Christopher Walken announces the nominees for best musical score.

And the winner is: Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water

Zendaya introduces Keala Settle, who sings This Is Me,  from The Greatest Showman.

The award for Achievement in Cinematography has four men and one woman in the running. And the winner is Roger A. Deakins for Bladerunner 2049.

Nicole Kidman names the winner of the prize for Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele for Get Out.

After a not-so-subtle dig at Trump's plans for a border fence, they announce the winner of  adapted screenplay Call Me By Your name, by James Ivory.

Salma Hayek, Tina Fey and Ashley Judd talk change, originality and storytelling. They speak about diversity and woman empowerment. 

Comedian Dave Chappelle introduces Andra Day and Common, who rock Stand Up For Something

Movie stars including Margot Robbie  and Lupita Nyong'o take hot dog cannons and gummy bears to an unsuspecting audience at the TCL Chinese Theatre, who were lured for a sneak peek of A Wrinkle in Time to the hall. After cheers and squeaks from the excited fans, one lucky visitor gets to introduce the next presenters, Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph. These hilarious actresses come out heels in hand, wave to Meryl Streep and follow it by naming the winners of best documentary short subject: Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 (Frank Stiefel).

They then announce the winner of the best Live Action Short: it was won by  Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton for The Silent Child.

Actor announces the win of  Lee Smith for film editing, for Dunkirk.

Gina Rodriguez and Tom Holland announce achievements in visual effects: Blade Runner 2049. While the beauty of effects is acknowledged, the length of the winners' speech - i.e. made by John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert and Richard R.Hoover - is too. There is a get-off-the-stage-quick soundtrack.

6.44am: Sufjan Stevens sings 'Mystery of Love' from 'Call Me By 
Your Name'

Coco wins the mantle of best Animated Feature Film for Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson.

Animated Short film is announced: Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant win for 
Dear Basketball

Mahershala Ali, who won the title of Best Supporting Actor for Moonlight, announced this year's actress in best supporting role: Allison Janney, for I, Tonya.

86-year-old actress Rita Moreno's energy is infectious as the West Side Story star declares the winner for the Best Foreign Language Film with a victorious ha!. it is: A Fantastic Woman, from Chile.

Gael Garcia Bernal is one of the the artists singing the emotional song composed by the creators of another hit favourite - Frozen's Let it Go -Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Two other singers join him on stage: Miguel and Natalia Lafourcade.

They issue a shout out to all the dreamers in America - alien minors in the United States. Nanjiani, who traces his roots to Pakistan says: "We stand with you." The winner for production design is The Shape of Water

Baby Driver stars Ansel Elgort and Eiza Gonzalez announce achivements in sound mixing and sound editing. Dunkirk takes both titles!

She is nominated for best original song for the Mudbound track - and on this stage she proves why. She performs an emotional rendition that ends with the audience clapping in time with the chorus.

Icarus wins! Bryan Fogel gets emotional in his acceptance speech.

Eva Marie Saint is on stage to announce Best Costume Design. And the winner is Mark Bridges for Phantom Thread.

Make-up and hairstyling winner announced: it is a win for Darkest Hour

Take out your Gulf News tabloid! copy and see if your picks have won. Are you ready? First up... Viola Davis is on stage to announce the nominees for Best supporting actor.

The winner: Sam Rockwell — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

This is the first oscar nomination and win for the actor. 

The show begins in Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, California, and Kimmel doesn't waste time in calling out harrasment in the workplace, gender equality, and dissing now disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. He lauds the diversity of this year's line-up.

Nicole Kidman is rocking her simple and yet dramatic Armani blue dress, complete with sleek hair and dangling diamond earrings. We are having a fangirl/boy moment. Nicole, take a bow.

For director Greta Gerwig calls being at the Oscars a 'dream come true'.

And here is Saorise Ronan, who is nominated for her role in the same movie.

30 minutes before the show begins, Timothee Chalamet is already having fun. The Call Me By Your Name actor calls his on-screen dad, Matthew McConaughey, his 'spirit animal'. At 22, Chalamet  is the third-youngest Best Actor Oscar nominee.

Aussie actress Margot Robbie, who has produced I, Tonya, has been sweeping up awards for her convincing role in it as figure skater Tonya Harding. Here she is in a chic Chanel gown. 

Andra Day, nominated for original song with Rapper Common, is right at home amid the A-listers. Here she is chilling out ahead of the show. 

It is the year of the #MeToo moment -- and it is the perfect time to talk about the casting couch and the abuse rife in the industry. The good thing - no one is flinching. Actresses Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino show up together and talk about the importance of addressing the issue of sexual abuse in the workplace.

The singer,songwriter and mesmerising actress is dressed in a cream Versace gown and has a sleek, combed back 'do. Nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song for her contributions to Mudbound, the No More Drama singer has an empowering message for all the fans who look up to her: Don't ever give up.

Salma Hayek, who says her 10-year daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault is already calling herself a feminist, looks stunning ahead of her presenter gig.

Chadwick Boseman, who played the leader of the Wakandans, T’Challa, says "he's just having fun" after his movie exploded on the scene. The expectations are not weighing him down. But the American does have some words of gratitude. Did you know? Hollywood bigwig Denzel Washington paid for Boseman's participation at a University at Oxford university theatre programme. We don't think he's going to be asking for his money back.

The tough-as-nails outlaw from Baby Driver makes a statement in a bright, sunny outfit.

The 86-year-old actress, who won an Oscar in 1962 for her role in West Side Story, returned to the red carpet in the same outfit she wore when she won the golden stattuete. She told reporters: "“I had no idea I was going to win that year, I was sure it was going to be Judy Garland for Judgment at Nuremberg."

3.30am: 

Looking elegant, the A-lister who is presenting tonight, walks the red carpet. She may not be giving any interviews, but she's definitely wowing the crowd.

The lean and super talented Doug Jones is now  on the red-carpet and ready to talk monster role.

Christopher Plummer, who plays J. Paul Getty in All the Money in the World, is competing for the title of Best Supporting Actor. At 88, he is also one of the  oldest nominees - not that you'd know it looking at his energy at the event.

Other stars lighting up the res carpet are:

Ok, it's heating up now. One of the first stars on the scene is Kelly Marie Tran looking absolutely nothing like the scruffy, hardcore fighter we saw in the hit Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Don't miss it! 

To see the 2018 Oscars, go to OSN Play.