Winners

Slumdog Steamrolls Oscars

8 awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner at the 81st Academy Awards, taking home eight prizes, including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and a number of technical awards. Sean Penn’s Best Actor win for Milk was a slight upset—he made sure to mention fellow nominee (and rumored favorite) “his brother” Mickey Rourke. Kate Winslet received a Best Actress Oscar for The Reader, saying, “I would be lying if I said I hadn't made a version of this speech. I was eight years old and this [the Oscar] was a shampoo bottle." The Best Supporting Actor statue was awarded posthumously to Heath Ledger, with his parents and sister accepting on the actor’s behalf, and Penelope Cruz took the Best Supporting Actress award. Throughout, host Hugh Jackman injected a little Tony song-and-dance flair to the proceedings with multiple production numbers alongside Beyonce and Mamma Mia! and High School Musical stars.