On February 22, 2009, Hollywood's elite actors, actresses, directors and other well-known names in the film industry made their way down the red carpet for the 81st Annual Academy Awards Ceremony.
The film Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner at the 2009 Oscars, as the film captured eight Academy Awards, including the Oscar for "Best Motion Picture of the Year."
Slumdog Millionaire beat out best picture Academy Award nominees The Reader, Frost/Nixon, Milk and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Who Won the Oscar for 'Best Actress?"
British actress Kate Winslet, who first made her mark in American movie theatres with her leading role in the blockbuster TItanic, won the Oscar for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role" for her performance in the Holocaust-era film The Reader.
The other Academy Award nominees for the "Best Actress" included Anne Hathaway for her performance in Rachel Getting Married, Angelina Jolie for her performance in Changeling, Melissa Leo for her role in Frozen River and Meryl Streep for her performance in Doubt.
Who Won the Oscar for "Best Actor?"
Actor Sean Penn won the Oscar for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role" for his role in Milk.
Penn beat out the following 2009 Academy Award nominees in the category for "Best Actor:" Richard Jenkins for his role in The Visitor; Frank Langella for his role in Frost/Nixon; Brad Pitt for his starring role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; and Mickey Rourke for his role in the film The Wrestler.
Who Won the Oscar for Best Director?
Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle won the Academy Award for "Best Achievement in Directing."
The Slumdog Millionaire director beat out the following Oscar nominees for best director: Director Stephen Daldry for The Reader; David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Director Ron Howard for his film Frost/Nixon; and Gus Van Sant for Milk.
Who Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress?
The Oscar for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role" went to Penelope Cruz for her supporting role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Cruz beat out the following 2009 Academy Award nominees for best supporting actress: Amy Adams for her role in Doubt; Viola Davis for her role in Doubt; Taraji P. Henson for her performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; and Marissa Tomei for her role as a supporting actress in The Wrestler.
Who Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor?
It was a bittersweet night at the Oscars for the family of late actor Heath Ledger, who won the Oscar for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" for his performance in The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger's family was on-hand to accept the best supporting actor Oscar.
The four other Academy Award nominees for best supporting actor were as follows: Josh Broslin for his performance in Milk; Robert Downey, Jr. for his role in Tropic Thunder; Phillip Seymour Hoffman for his performance in Doubt; and Michael Shannon for his role in Revolutionary Road.
To see a complete list of the 2009 Oscar winners, check out the official website for the 81st Annual Academy Awards.
