“The Artist”, a French silent film starring Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo, was the darling of the evening with 5 Academy Award wins, including Best Picture – the first silent film to receive the honor since the original Oscar ceremony 83 years ago – and Best Actor for Dujardin. Dujardin became the first Frenchman to win an acting Oscar. “Oh, thank you. Oui. I love your country!” said Dujardin.

“Hugo”, set in 1930s Paris and tells the tale of an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and is surrounded by the mystery of his father and an automaton, also won 5 awards and led the field with 11 nominations.

Meryl Streep swept up the golden statue for Best Actress in “The Iron Lady”, a biopic on former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher. It is Streep’s first Oscar win, despite 17 nominations, since she won 23 year ago for Sophie’s Choice. Streep humorously remarked when accepting her award, “When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America go, ‘Oh, no, why her again?’ But whatever.” Streep is only the fifth performer to receive three Oscars. Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman and Walter Brennan all earned three, while Katharine Hepburn won four.

Octavia Spencer picked up her first Oscar win for her role as Minny Jackson in “The Help”. Her genuine and heartwarming acceptance speech brought her a standing ovation. Christopher Plummer, the 82-year-old was nominated for his role as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in “Beginners”, was witty with his acceptance speech and the fact that he is the oldest acting winner – edging out Jessica Tandy, who won as best actress for “Driving Miss Daisy” when she was 80 – by remarking to his gold Oscar statuette, “You’re only two years older than me, darling.”