So Spotlight, the film about the dogged team of Boston Globe journalists who exposed sexual abuse by Catholic priests, upset the odds and claimed Best Film at last night's 88th Annual Academy Awards, but most of the other top awards followed the form book.
As expected, Leonardo DiCaprio took Best Actor for The Revenant, finally bagging an Oscar at the sixth time of asking; and Brie Larson scooped the Best Actress prize for her performance as a kidnapped mother in Room; Mark Rylance pipped sentimental favourite Sylvester Stallone to Best Supporting Actor and Alicia Vikander won Best Supporting Actress, while Alejandro G Iñárritu became only the third filmmaker in Hollywood history to win Best Director two years in a row.
The night's big winner was Mad Max: Fury Road, which roared away with six of the technical awards, including Best Costume for Jenny Beavan, which meant that The Martian and Star Wars: The Force Awakens both went home empty handed, as sadly did the sublime Carol, directed by Todd Haynes and adpated by Phyllis Nagy from Patricia Highsmith's novel.
Here's how the awards went, with the full list of nominees, followed by my 'will win predictions' and the actual winner.
Best Film
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Will win: The Revenant
Did win: Spotlight
Best Director
Lenny Abrahamson – Room
Alejandro G Inarritu – The Revenant
Tom McCarthy - Spotlight
Adam McKay – The Big Short
George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Will win: Alejandro G Inarritu – The Revenant
Did win: Alejandro G Inarritu – The Revenant
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
Matt Damon – The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl
Will win: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Did win: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett - Carol
Brie Larson – Room
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Charlotte Rampling – 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
Will win: Brie Larson – Room
Did win: Brie Larson – Room
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale – The Big Short
Tom Hardy – The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Will win: Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Did win: Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara – Carol
Rachel Adams – Spotlight
Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs
Will win: Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Did win: Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Animated Feature Film
Anomalisa
Boy and the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
When Marnie Was There
Will win: Inside Out
Did win: Inside Out
Cinematography
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario
Will win: The Revenant
Did win: The Revenant
Costume Design
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Will win: Cinderella
Did win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Documentary Feature
Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom
Will win: Amy
Did win: Amy
Documentary Short Subject
Body Team 12
Chau, Beyond the Lines
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
A Girl in the River: The Prince of Forgiveness
Last Day of Freedom
Will win: Body Team 12
Did win: A Girl in the River: The Prince of Forgiveness
Film Editing
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Did win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Foreign Language Film
Embrace of the Serpent
Mustang
Son of Saul
Theeb
A War
Will win: Son of Saul
Did win: Son of Saul
Makeup and Hairstyling
Mad Max: Fury Road
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared
The Revenant
Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Did win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Music Original Score
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Will win: The Hateful Eight
Did win: : The Hateful Eight
Music Original Song
‘Earned It’ – Fifty Shades of Grey
‘Manta Ray’ – Racing Extinction
‘Simple Song’ – Youth
‘Til It Happens To You’ – The Hunting Ground
‘Writing’s on the Wall’ - Spectre
Will win: ‘Til It Happens To You’ – The Hunting Ground
Did win: ‘Writing’s on the Wall’ - Spectre
Production Design
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Did win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Animated Short Film
Bear Story
Prologue
Sanjay’s Super Team
We Can’t Live Without the Cosmos
World of Tomorrow
Will win: Sanjay’s Super Team
Did win: Bear Story
Live Action Short Film
Ave Maria
Day One
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)
Shok
Stutterer
Will win: Ave Maria
Did win: Stutterer
Sound Editing
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Did win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Sound Mixing
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Did win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Visual Effects
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Did win: Ex Machina
Adapted Screenplay
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Room
Will win: The Big Short
Did win: The Big Short
Original Screenplay
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Will win: Spotlight
Did win: Spotlight
