Oscars 2009 As it happens

The great and good of the movie world assemble at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles for this year's Oscars. As Hugh Jackman presides over the ceremony with jokes penned with Ricky Gervais' help, backs are slapped, winners gush, losers smile ruefully, and Kate Winslet anxiously waits to see if her Extras joke about a Holocaust drama being a shortcut to an Oscar comes true, inthenews.co.uk will be here through the night to report on the film event of the year.

04:27 - Another famous five - including Shirley Maclaine, Marion Cotillard and Nicole Kidman - enter to announce the recipient of the best actress Oscar. Will it be Winslet?

04:20 - DANNY BOYLE for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Fantastic.

04:18 - Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon takes the Kodak Theatre stage to announce the nominees for the best director Academy award, an incredibly tough pick, though Danny Boyle and David Fincher are the favourites...

04:12 - Cyd Charisse, Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Paul Schofield, Harold Pinter, Roy Scheider, Charlton Heston and Paul Newman are among those commemorated in the Oscar's In Memoriam video, a true lump-in-the-throat moment.

04:06 - The biggest shock of the evening comes from the best foreign language film category with Japanese film DEPARTURES victorious in a category containing Waltz With Bashir, The Baader Meinhof Complex and Palme d'Or winner The Class.

04:00 - And the winner is JAI HO by AR RAHMAN and GULZAR from SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Six for Slumdog now. "All my life I have had a choice between hate and love," says Rahman. "I chose love, and that is why I am here tonight."

03:57 - After Peter Gabriel pulled out of the ceremony after his best original song nominee was cut to a 90-second performance, John Legend does a sterling job in stepping in with support from the Soweto Gospel Choir for the rousing Down to Earth. Rahman performs both O Saya and Jai Ho, with Slumdog Millionaire nominated twice in the same category, though a clever layering of Down to Earth and Jai Ho makes the competing nominees seem more friends than rivals. Quite right too.

03:52 - A rather lovely selection from each of the nominees for best original score is played before Zac Efron and Alicia Keys announce the winner as AR RAHMAN for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. A charming Rahman compares the excitement and terror of being nominated to his wedding day as Slumdog claims its fifth award of the evening.

03:46 - Seven awards remain, including the big four of best actor, best actress, best director and best picture. Can Slumdog, Winslet and Rourke follow their Bafta and Golden Globe wins with an Academy award? Stay tuned to find out (even if it's definitely getting late now... )

03:41 - Eddie Murphy presents the Jean Hersholt humanitarian award to JERRY LEWIS, with a standing ovation for the comedy legend.

03:34 - And now they're in the lead. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE now has four Oscars, as Chris Dickens collects the best film editing award.

03:31 - Which goes to SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. A gleeful Danny Boyle watches his sound team collect the film's third Oscar of the evening. And with the film's superb visuals matched by its cacophonous, dizzying sounds, it's certainly deserved.

03:29 - A second award for THE DARK KNIGHT, which unsurprisingly claims the best sound editing prize. Big Will remains on stage for the best sound mixing prize...

03:26 - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ups its Oscar-count to three, claiming the best visual effects award after a Will Smith speech followed a surprisingly dull action movie montage. So that's three for Ben Button, two for Slumdog.

03:17 - The Oscar for best documentary short film goes to MEGAN MYLAN for SMILE PINKI.

03:15 - A British success, as MAN ON WIRE is named best documentary feature and Philippe Petit, the film's highwire-walking subject joins the filmmakers to accept the prize, earning a laugh by performing a magic trick and balancing the Oscar on his chin. A just win for a truly absorbing documentary.

03:02 - Yes it is. HEATH LEDGER is named best supporting actor for his mercurial turn as The Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT. His father, mother and sister take to the stage in one of the evening's most emotional moments, as a wonderful actor, tragically lost in 2008, is honoured for an unforgettable performance.

03:02 - And here it is. The best supporting actor Oscar. Is it Heath's year? Alan Arkin and Cuba Gooding Jr are among the former winners who are set to end the wait.

02:54 - Another musical number, this time produced by Baz Luhrmann. Jackman and Beyonce power through a series of classic film songs, including Lady Marmalade, You're the One That I Want and Maria, before High School Musical's Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried from Mamma Mia! come on for a old-meets-new medley climax, which veers between loveable and lame, until Beyonce and Jackman's amazing pipes provide a fitting finish. "The musical is back!" cries Tony award-winner Jackman.

02:47 - Accompanied by a surprisingly funny Janusz Kaminski, Rogen and Franco announce SPIELZEUGLAND (TOYLAND) as the winner of the best live action short Oscar.

02:45 - In their Pineapple Express guises, Seth Rogen and James Franco present an hilarious 'comedy' movie montage which features The Love Guru, Step Brothers, The Reader and Franco's kiss with Sean Penn in Milk, among others. This really is one of the funniest Oscar ceremonies in years.

02:34 - And the winner is ANTHONY DOD MANTLE for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. And quite right too, as anyone who has seen Danny Boyle's magnificently-made drama will attest. So that's two for Ben Button, two for Slumdog. The race continues.

02:31 - A crazily bearded Ben Stiller nails a Joaquin Phoenix impression as he and Natalie Portman introduce the best cinematography award. "I just wanna retire from being a funny guy." "You look like you work at a Hasidic meth lab." High laugh count so far.

02:24 - It's best makeup next, and Oscar number two for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON.

02:19 - We are rattling through the awards after a seemingly interminable spell on the red carpet, and Craig and SJP announce the nominees for the best costume design prize. The winner, somewhat of a surprise, is THE DUCHESS.

02:17 - With 13 nominations, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON claims its first of the night, with DONALD GRAHAM BURTT and VICTOR J SOLFO accepting the Oscar.

02:15 - Daniel Craig and Sarah Jessica Parker take to the stage to present the best art direction award, a hotly-contested prize which this year goes to...

02:09 - The best animated short Oscar follows, with KUNIO KATO acceppting the prize for LA MAISON EN PETITS CUBES.

02:06 - WALL-E. Director ANDREW STANTON talks of the character's struggle to "find the beauty in everything he sees." A deserved win for one of the most lyrical, beautiful and groundbreaking films of the last year.

02:05 - Jack Black, star of Dreamworks hit Kung Fu Panda, raises a chuckle by revealing he always bets on Pixar for the best animated feature Oscar. Which is claimed in 2009 by...

02:01 - SIMON BEAUFOY for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. The first of many?

02:00 - The best adapted screenplay Oscar follows...

01:56 - And the Oscar goes to DUSTIN LANCE BLACK for MILKk. An incredibly moving, heartfelt speech about gay rights, particularly relevant in light of the recent Proposition 8 vote against gay marriage in California.

01:53 - Tina Fey and Steve Martin back-and-forth for the best original screenplay prize - an intro that takes an enjoyably tongue-in-cheek swipe at Scientology - allegedly - and proves Martin is still funny, despite The Pink Panther 2.

01:47 - PENELOPE CRUZ for VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA. After an initially teary start, she composes herself and thanks Woody Allen, Pedro Almodovar and concludes: "Art is our universal language."

01:42 - Past winners Eva Marie Saint, Whoopi Goldberg, Tilda Swinton, Anjelica Huston and Goldie Hawn come out to individually announce and pay tribute to the five nominees for the first award of the evening, the best supporting actress Oscar, which goes to...

01:37 - And the rumours were true! An opening musical number! Slumdog, Winslet, Milk... "How come comic book movies never get nominated?/How can a billion dollars be unsophisticated?" A game Hathaway roped in for a Frost/Nixon parody that descends into hilarious romance, electro dance for The Reader... bravo Hugh Jackman! Credit crunch be damned, what an exuberant start.

01:30 - Hugh Jackman begins the show. Excellent opening riff on range. Winslet, English, plays a German - nominated. Downey Jr, American, plays an Australian playing an African-American - nominated. Jackman, Australian, playing Australian in film called Australia - hosting.

01:09 - Some more red carpet chat and preview clips before we really kick things off.

01:03 - And here we go.... well done Sky for a Killers-backed opening montage.

00:55 - Five minutes to go... for toilet breaks, coffee-making and snack gathering, NOW is the time!

00:50 - And here's Winslet, "our Kate", a "nice, normal girl", etc. Looking as fantastic as we've come to expect in the last year, though a little put out when the E! interviewer says he's "looking forward to hearing her speech". Oh, give the girl a rest, for heaven's sake. The Golden Globes speech wasn't a Gwyneth-style sobfest, she got some comedy in there by forgetting Angelina Jolie and the magnificent Englishness of the breathy repetition of the anachronistic "gather... " took the acceptance speech into the Premier League. Though she'll be a bit more poised if she finally wins a best actress Oscar tonight...

00:47 - Brangelina arrives/arrive (when a couple becomes known as a singular entity, should we just do away with pluralising? Answers on a postcard please). The male half of Hollywood's power duo is pleasantly sincere in his happiness at being nominated alongside Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn. Will it be Pitt's year for Benjamin Button?

00:30 - White tuxedo,sunglasses and a commemorative necklace for his recently deceased beloved pet Loki - Mickey Rourke, who the aforementioned 'leaked list' claimed would win the best actor Oscar for The Wrestler, is one of a kind. A Hollywood maverick on a night when the insincerity and false smiles will be turned up to 11.

00:26 - A stunning Natalie Portman may have just claimed the red carpet crown and best supporting actor Robert Downey Jr looks to be revelling in his much-deserved career renaissance. A pity that his brilliant, brave and hilarious turn in Tropic Thunder is almost certain to lose out as the late, great Heath Ledger - probably - claims the Oscar.

00:08 - Sarah Jessica Parker seems to be wearing a wedding dress. Should Matthew Broderick be concerned? Has this become a fashion blog? Never fear, 50 minutes to the serious business of the night.

00:03 - Early quote of the night - "Everyone in Indonesia cares about the Oscars." You learn something new everyday...

00:00 - - Is High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens the smuggest actress in the world? And yes, an Obama reference! From Zac Efron. Oh.

23:44 - Anil Kapoor and a beautiful Freida Pinto look absolutely delighted yet still incredibly humble to be on the red carpet while Dev Patel seems to be having the greatest day of his life - how could anyone root against Slumdog Millionaire?

23:38 - E! are claiming past Oscar winners will announce this year's nominees while best supporting actress hopeful Amy Adams is her usual smiley self. With the leak of a supposed 'winner's list' earlier this week - the authenticity of which was hastily denied by the Academy - some of the excitement might have been taken out of the evening but personally I'm very much looking forward to the big categories, even if the winners might be a foregone conclusion. Still though, best not to tempt fate...

23:36 - Kevin Kline tips Slumdog to win best picture and Hugh Jackman to be a storming success as host, while Zac Efron has a Mad Men side parting going on and Richard Jenkins looks nervy.

23:27 - Sir Anthony Hopkins is looking skinny but very grand... 'probing' questions from Fearne Cotton...

23:22 - Slumdog star Dev Patel begins his red carpet walk - bless him, he looks excited! Who'd have thought Anwar from Skins would be the leading man of the people's favourite to win best picture? He's certainly come a long way from fictional teenage debauchery in Bristol...

23:19 - Host Hugh Jackman interviewed backstage in just a v-neck and t-shirt - come on Wolvie, smarten up!

23:02 - Miley Cyrus is the first big red carpet arrival and makes the bold proclamation that her next movie could land her a nomination next year - really??

22:05 - Just under three hours to go and red carpet traffic is beginning to build, while E! Online are for some reason tying in Victoria's Secret lingerie with the biggest movie event of the year... whatever gets the viewers in, I suppose...