After an array of awards ceremonies throughout the past two months, actors and filmmakers reached their highest honor at the 83rd Academy Awards, Feb. 27.

There, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rewarded the top films of 2010 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. The event was broadcast on ABC.

Often considered the most coveted award of the night, Best Picture went to The King’s Speech.

As anticipated, Natalie Portman’s performance as a ballet dancer in Black Swan earned her the Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role. Like Portman, Colin Firth rose to his raving predictions by winning Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of the stuttering King George VI in The King’s Speech. The pair has become accustomed to holding awards onstage, as they have swept the leading actress and actor honors this season.

Once stars filed through cameras and interviews on the red carpet, the Oscars commenced at 5:30 p.m. with hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco. In the opening montage, the duo was inserted into nominated movies through Alec Baldwin’s dreams in a spoof of Inception.

As they toured the various films, they sought advice on how to successfully host the show. The montage appeared to be a hit with the audience, receiving abundant applause. Another feature was Hathaway dressed in a tux singing a ballad about Hugh Jackman refusing to perform with her. Soon after, Franco showed up onstage in a gown, wig and makeup.

Hathaway and Franco brightened the room throughout the show as A-list stars came to and from the stage, both presenting and receiving awards.

For their performances in The Fighter, Christian Bale was awarded the Oscar for Actor in a Supporting Role, and Melissa Leo won Actress in a Supporting Role. Tom Hooper’s work on The King’s Speech was recognized with the Oscar for Directing.

Inception, which was lauded for its special effects and artistic scenes, took the Oscars for Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects. With four awards, Inception tied The King’s Speech for winning film of the night.

To display the nominees for the best original song, the audience was treated to live performances of each piece. Randy Newman sang “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi sang a duet of “I See the Light” from Tangled, Florence Welch and A. R. Rahman performed “If I Rise” from 127 Hours, and Gwyneth Paltrow sang “Coming Home” from Country Strong. The Oscar went to Newman.

Comparing nominees and winners between the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes shows disparity. At the Oscars, The King’s Speech won four of its 12 nominations, while it only received one of seven nominations at the Golden Globes. The Social Network received three Oscars out of its eight nominations, whereas it swept the awards with four wins out of six nominations at the Golden Globes.

Although True Grit was nominated for 10 awards at the Oscars, the team left empty-handed.

For a full list of nominees and winners, visit the Academy Awards website.

For more coverage of TV and film awards, read the Jan. 16 article, 68th Golden Globes recognize TV, movie excellence.

Tweet