2010 Academy Awards: Winners List & Highlights

The 2010 Oscars are co-hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, a new concept for the heralded position of host on Hollywood night. Both are veterans of hosting Saturday Night Live, but I was still a little shocked at this pick. As promised, the opening of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards was different. With the nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress took the stage to receive applause and be announced to the crowd.

Out stepped Neil Patrick Harris to open the show with a song. "I know, what am I doing here?", asked Harris before breaking into song and dance.The song turned in the end to say he was not a host and that he was firing his agent. So the hosts, Baldwin and Martin got a huge introduction. The two were funny together, as always. Steve Martin quipped, "Merryl Streep holds the record for most nominations ever...or as I like to refer to it, most losses." Since Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin and Merryl Streep are straight off working together she bore the brunt of the beginning jokes. One by one they picked on the rest of the nominees, even James Cameron to a tiny degree. George Clooney and Alec Baldwin had several serious stare downs. Clooney always wins.

Have no fear if you did miss the airing of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, I have your list of winners right here. I'll even fill you in on the highlights of the night. For the best coverage of the Oscar Night Red Carpet fashions and faux pas, check out Sherry Wight's coverage here.

2010 Academy Award: Actress in a Supporting Role (Robin Williams presenting)
Robin Williams pointed out that we had just seen the presentation of the Governor's Award, and "later tonight the Governor's Ball will be held... just one of many balls being held in Hollywood tonight."

* Penélope Cruz in "Nine"
* Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart"
* Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"
* Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

It would have been an upset if anyone else had won this award, Mo'Nique has been all over the press as the love for her role in this movie has poured out. She thanked Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey, "because you touched it, people saw it.

2010 Academy Award: Actor in a Supporting Role (Penelope Cruz presenting)

* Matt Damon in "Invictus"
* Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger"
* Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station"
* Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones"
* Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"

2010 Academy Award: Actor in a Leading Role (Kate Winslet presenting)

George Clooney told the AP on the Red Carpet prior to the 82nd Annual Oscars, "...you pretty much know whose going to win these things nowadays.... just being nominated means so much [some of the up and coming actors] to get your name on the top of the list for future parts..."
This nomination was handled new with different people taking the stage to honor the actors up for the award.

* Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"
* George Clooney in "Up in the Air"
* Colin Firth in "A Single Man"
* Morgan Freeman in "Invictus" Tim Rollins joked of Morgan Freeman calling him "Ted" on the set of "Shawshank Redemption"
* Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker"

I'm so glad Jeff Bridges won for his role in "Crazy Heart", and I'm not a big fan of Bridges' work. This role just seemed to fit him like a glove. On his sixth nomination, he finally brought the trophy home. Jeff Bridges seemed genuinely tickled to finally win the coveted award and spoke of how much his mom and dad loved acting.

2010 Academy Award: Actress in a Leading Role (Sean Penn presenting)

Five stars came to the stage again to speak of the Oscar nominees in a show of respect.

* Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"
* Helen Mirren in "The Last Station"
* Carey Mulligan in "An Education"
* Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Oprah Winfrey told the story of how Gabourey Sidebe skipped school to audition for the part in the movie. Gabourey sat crying in the audience as Oprah talked about her.
* Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia" Stanley Tucci took on his friend Meryl Streep saying he was spear heading a campaign to cap the number of wins at 16 so no one would have to call her name again.

With the upset of the night, Sandra Bullock steals the top ladies' award for her role in "The Blind Side". Bullock asked if she really earned this or if she just wore them all down. Not sure on that one, but I know there were far better actresses in this group. Don't get me wrong, I like Sandra Bullock, just not as an actress. She teared up as she thanked her mom for "not letting me get in cars with boys until I was 18 because I would have done what you thought I was going to do..."

2010 Academy Award: Animated Feature Film (Cameron Diaz & Steve Carell presenting)

* "Coraline" Henry Selick
* "Fantastic Mr. Fox" Wes Anderson
* "The Princess and the Frog" John Musker and Ron Clements
* "The Secret of Kells" Tomm Moore
* "Up" Pete Docter

2010 Academy Award: Art Direction (Sigourney Weaver presenting)

* "Avatar" Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
* "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
* "Nine" Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
* "Sherlock Holmes" Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
* "The Young Victoria" Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

2010 Academy Award: Cinematography (Sandra Bullock presenting)

* "Avatar" Mauro Fiore
* "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Bruno Delbonnel
* "The Hurt Locker" Barry Ackroyd
* "Inglourious Basterds" Robert Richardson
* "The White Ribbon" Christian Berger

2010 Academy Award: Costume Design (Tom Ford & Sarah Jessica Parker presenting)

Announce as a couple of "clothes whores" by Steve Martin and corrected by Alec Baldwin immediately, this was one of the funniest intros of the night.

* "Bright Star" Janet Patterson
* "Coco before Chanel" Catherine Leterrier
* "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Monique Prudhomme
* "Nine" Colleen Atwood
* "The Young Victoria" Sandy Powell

2010 Academy Award: Directing (Barbra Streisand presenting)

Right out of the shoot Barbra Streisand announced that the winner of Best Director tonight could be the first woman, or the first African-American.

* "Avatar" James Cameron
* "The Hurt Locker" Kathryn Bigelow
* "Inglourious Basterds" Quentin Tarantino
* "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Lee Daniels
* "Up in the Air" Jason Reitman

Reading the winner, Barbra Streisand first said, "well the time has come..." causing a pause in two camps before the winner was read. So Kathryn Bigelow is the first female winner of an Oscar for Best Director for her documentary style film on the trials of active duty war. She dedicated the award to the men and women in the military. The band played "I Am Woman" as she left the stage, ugh.

2010 Academy Award: Documentary (Feature) (Matt Damon presenting)

* "Burma VJ" Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
* "The Cove" Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
* "Food, Inc." Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
* "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers" Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
* "Which Way Home" Rebecca Cammisa

2010 Academy Award: Documentary (Short Subject)

* "China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province" Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
* "The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner" Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
* "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
* "Music by Prudence" Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
* "Rabbit à la Berlin" Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

As both winners were first time winners, they battled (almost literally) over who would make the speech. As Roger Ross Williams arrived at the stage first he began to make his speech when he was acausted at the microphone by Elino Burkett who said, "...just like a man to not let the lady talk..." and proceeded to babble away the time for them both.

2010 Academy Award: Film Editing (Tyler Perry presenting)

* "Avatar" Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
* "District 9" Julian Clarke
* "The Hurt Locker" Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
* "Inglourious Basterds" Sally Menke
* "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Joe Klotz

2010 Academy Award: Foreign Language Film (Quentin Tarantino presenting)

* "Ajami" Israel
* "The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)" Peru
* "A Prophet (Un Prophète)" France
* "The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)" Argentina
* "The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)" Germany

2010 Academy Award: Makeup (Ben Stiller presenting)

Ben Stiller gets props for most 'into' his role on Oscar night. He presented in full "Avatar" make up and wardrobe... for one of the only awards the blockbuster is not nominated for. As Stiller said, "...I should have just worn my Spock ears, I have two pair signed by Leornard Nemoy."

* "Il Divo" Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
* "Star Trek" Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
* "The Young Victoria" Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

2010 Academy Award: Music (Original Score) (Jennifer Lopez presenting)

New Oscar producer Adam Shankman brought his SYTYCD ("So You Think You Can Dance") flavor to the stage tonight with the League of Extraordinary Dancers doing separate pieces to each of the nominated scores.

* "Avatar" James Horner
* "Fantastic Mr. Fox" Alexandre Desplat
* "The Hurt Locker" Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
* "Sherlock Holmes" Hans Zimmer
* "Up" Michael Giacchino

2010 Academy Award: Music (Original Song) (Miley Cyrus presenting)

* "Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* "Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* "Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
* "Take It All" from "Nine" Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
* "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

The Best Picture Category was opened up this year to allow for more movies. "Avatar" was still the odds on favorite before the Oscars started with "The Hurt Locker" and the others trailing slightly.

2010 Academy Award: Best Picture (Tom Hanks presenting)

* "Avatar" James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
* "The Blind Side" Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers
* "District 9" Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
* "An Education" Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
* "The Hurt Locker" Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers
* "Inglourious Basterds" Lawrence Bender, Producer
* "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
* "A Serious Man" Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
* "Up" Jonas Rivera, Producer
* "Up in the Air" Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

The big Oscar of the night is the sixth take home for "The Hurt Locker", definitely the hit of the night.

2010 Academy Award: Short Film (Animated)

* "French Roast" Fabrice O. Joubert
* "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell
* "The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)" Javier Recio Gracia
* "Logorama" Nicolas Schmerkin
* "A Matter of Loaf and Death" Nick Park

2010 Academy Award: Short Film (Live Action)

* "The Door" Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
* "Instead of Abracadabra" Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
* "Kavi" Gregg Helvey
* "Miracle Fish" Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
* "The New Tenants" Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

2010 Academy Award: Sound Editing

* "Avatar" Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
* "The Hurt Locker" Paul N.J. Ottosson
* "Inglourious Basterds" Wylie Stateman
* "Star Trek" Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
* "Up" Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

This was the first surprise for the team "Avatar". It was heavily assumed they would sweep all the technical awards.
2010 Academy Award: Sound Mixing

* "Avatar" Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
* "The Hurt Locker" Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
* "Inglourious Basterds" Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
* "Star Trek" Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
* "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

After just winning the Oscar for Sound Editing it only follows that the same movie win the Oscar for Sound Mixing. Another small upset over team "Avatar".

2010 Academy Award: Visual Effects (Gerard Butler presenting)

* "Avatar" Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
* "District 9" Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
* "Star Trek" Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

I'm pretty sure the uproar would have been if "Avatar" did not win this award.

2010 Academy Award: Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Jake Gyllenhall presenting)

* "District 9" Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
* "An Education" Screenplay by Nick Hornby
* "In the Loop" Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
* "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
* "Up in the Air" Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

2010 Academy Award: Writing (Original Screenplay) (Tina Fey & Robert Downey Jr presenting)

* "The Hurt Locker" Written by Mark Boal
* "Inglourious Basterds" Written by Quentin Tarantino
* "The Messenger" Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
* "A Serious Man" Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
* "Up" Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

In memoriem to John Hughes (1950-2009) (Molly Ringwald & Matthew Broderick presenting)
John Hughes was responsible for creating so many of the superstars we now know. As Matthew Broderick said, "There's not a day that goes by that someone doesn't say to me, '...hey Ferris, is this your day off?'" The former 'brat pack' were re-assembled on stage including: John Cryer, Allie Sheedy and Macauley Caulkin, to pay homage to their star maker.

Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner were on stage together to present a tribute to the horror genre. Though many young stars start in this genre it is widely ignored on Oscar night. You have to be a superb filmmaker to get on the Oscar nomination list with a horror film. Just the music during the clip run was enough to give me the willies.

James Taylor gave a moving tribute during the memorial tribue to the actors that passed this year including: Patrick Swayze, Dom Deluise, Ron Silver, Britney Murphy, Roy E. Disney, Michael Jackson and Karl Malden. Surprisingly missing was Farrah Fawcett.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin quickly closed the show saying, "the show has now run so far over that "Avatar" takes place in the past." It was a long night at the Oscars, but it moved along smoothly almost to the boring point. Off to the parties now!