The Hurt Locker makes history at the Oscars
Updated on 08 March 2010
Iraq war drama 'The Hurt Locker' beats 3D epic 'Avatar' to best picture while the film's director Kathryn Bigelow becomes the first woman ever to win the best director award.
The film about bomb disposal experts in Iraq won six awards in total compared with three for Avatar - which Bigelow's former husband James Cameron directed.
Bigelow was greeted with loud cheers as she made history becoming the first woman ever to win a gong for best director.
The director looked surprised to receive the award and appeared to be shaking with emotion by the time the best picture award was read out.
On receiving the best director award she said it was "the moment of a lifetime". She also paid tribute to soldiers still fighting.
"I would like to dedicate this to the people who risk their lives on a daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan....may they come home safe," she said.
As arts correspondent Nicholas Glass reports, the Iraq film has been a surprising success: "'The Hurt Locker' has been a very slow burn," he says.
"Every producer and distributor of note passed on it, and it was independently financed at $11m. Shot almost three years ago in the heat of the Jordanian desert, it seems to have taken forever to get into the cinemas.
"The simple truth is Iraq war pictures don't make money." Read his article in full here.
The 82nd Academy Awards also saw bookies' favourite Jeff Bridges scoop best actor for country and western flick 'Cruel Heart', and Sandra Bullock win best actress for her role in 'The Blind Side'.
Bullock also received the dubious honour of receiving a "razzie" award for the worst female performance for 'All About Steve', at another ceremony in Los Angeles. She appeared in person to pick up the gong.
More Channel 4 News coverage of the Oscar nominees
- Bigelow's Oscar triumph on ladies' night
- Iraq war movie tipped for success
- Avatar director: home 3D coming soon
- Mariah takes off make-up for Cannes role
- Interview: Precious director Lee Daniels
Britain's best acting nominees and main Oscar contenders Colin Firth, Dame Helen Mirren and starlet Carey Mulligan went home empty-handed.
Nick Park's Wallace and Gromit caper A Matter Of Loaf and Death' was also beaten in the animated short film category by 'Logorama'.
The big Oscar winners
- Best picture: The Hurt Locker
- Directing: The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow)
- Actor in a leading role: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
- Actress in a leading role: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
- Actor in a supporting role: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
- Actress in a supporting role: Mo'Nique, Precious
- Animated feature film: Up
- Art direction: Avatar
- Cinematography: Avatar
- Costume design: The Young Victoria
- Documentary feature: The Cove
- Documentary short: Music by Prudence
- Film editing: The Hurt Locker
- Foreign language film: The Secret in Their Eyes
- Make-up: Star Trek
- Music (original score): Up (Michael Giacchino)
- Music (original song): Crazy Heart, The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart), Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
- Short film (animated): Logorama
- Short film (live action): The New Tenants
- Sound editing: The Hurt Locker
- Sound mixing: The Hurt Locker
- Visual effects: Avatar
- Writing (adapted screenplay): Precious - based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire (Geoffrey Fletcher)
- Writing (original screenplay): The Hurt Locker (Mark Boal)
