Mirren Queen of the Oscars

Feb 26, 2007, 10:40 GMT

(L-R) Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson, Helen Mirren and Alan Arkin hold their Oscars at the 79th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California Sunday 25 February 2007. The four won for, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. EPA/PAUL BUCK

Dame Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker were crowned queen and king of the Oscars last night (25.02.07).

The stars of 'The Queen' and 'The Last King of Scotland' won Best Actress and Best Actor respectively, while Martin Scorsese won Best Director for 'The Departed' - his first win out of six nominations in the category and 31 years since his first nomination.

As she accepted her award, Helen, struggling to hold the statuette, said: "I've got my purse in one hand, my earring in the other. Thank you, Academy. You know, my sister told me that all kids love to get gold stars, and this is the biggest and the best gold star that I have ever had in my life."

An emotional Forest said: "Thank you. I wrote something down, because I thought if it would happen that I would be a little overwhelmed and I am.

"When I was a kid, the only way that I saw movies was from the backseat of my family's car - at the drive-in. It wasn't my reality to think I would be acting in movies, so receiving this honour tonight tells me that it's possible. It is possible for a kid from east Texas, who believes in his dreams, commits himself to them with his heart, to touch them, and to have them happen."

In his acceptance speech, Scorsese joked: "Could you double-check the envelope, please?"

'The Departed' also won Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Other winners on the night included Jennifer Hudson, who walked away with the Best Supporting Actress accolade for her performance in 'Dreamgirls', while Alan Arkin took Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'Litte Miss Sunshine'.

Earlier in the night, Arkin said on the red carpet that he hoped his co-star, ten-year-old Abigail Breslin, nominated for Best Supporting Actress, lost.

He said: "I hope she loses frankly. No, I'm serious. I am not joking.

"I hope she loses. What, next year she is going to get the Nobel Prize, it's enough. She has had enough attention. I love her and I love her family and I feel enough is enough. She is a kid, she needs to have a childhood. I hope she loses."

79th Annual Academy Awards list of winners:

Best Picture

WINNER 'The Departed'

'Babel'

'Letters from Iwo Jima'

'Little Miss Sunshine'

'The Queen'

Best Actor

WINNER Forest Whitaker, 'The Last King of Scotland'

Leonardo DiCaprio, 'Blood Diamond'

Ryan Gosling, 'Half Nelson'

Peter O'Toole, 'Venus'

Will Smith, 'The Pursuit of Happyness'

Best Actress

WINNER Helen Mirren, 'The Queen'

Penelope Cruz, 'Volver'

Judi Dench, 'Notes on a Scandal'

Meryl Streep, 'The Devil Wears Prada'

Kate Winslet, 'Little Children'

Best Supporting Actor

WINNER Alan Arkin, 'Little Miss Sunshine'

Jackie Earle Haley, 'Little Children'

Djimon Hounsou, 'Blood Diamond'

Eddie Murphy, 'Dreamgirls'

Mark Wahlberg, 'The Departed'

Best Supporting Actress

WINNER Jennifer Hudson, 'Dreamgirls'

Adriana Barraza, 'Babel'

Cate Blanchett, 'Notes on a Scandal'

Abigail Breslin, 'Little Miss Sunshine'

Rinko Kikuchi, 'Babel'

Best Director

WINNER Martin Scorsese, 'The Departed'

Alejandro González Iñárritu, 'Babel'

Clint Eastwood, 'Letters from Iwo Jima'

Stephen Frears, 'The Queen'

Paul Greengrass, 'United 93'

Best Original Screenplay

WINNER 'Little Miss Sunshine'

'Babel'

'Letters from Iwo Jima'

'Pan's Labyrinth'

'The Queen'

Best Adapted Screenplay

WINNER 'The Departed'

'Borat'

'Children of Men'

'Little Children'

'Notes on a Scandal'

Foreign Language Film

WINNER 'The Lives of Others'

'After the Wedding'

'Days of Glory'

'Pan's Labyrinth'

'Water'

Animated Feature

WINNER 'Happy Feet'

'Cars'

'Monster House'

Music (Score)

WINNER 'Babel'

'The Good German'

'Notes on a Scandal'

'Pan's Labyrinth'

'The Queen'

Music (Song)

WINNER 'I Need to Wake Up' - 'An Inconvenient Truth'

'Listen' - 'Dreamgirls'

'Love You I Do' - 'Dreamgirls'

'Our Town' - 'Cars'

'Patience' - 'Dreamgirls'

(C) BANG Media International