The Artist scoops five Oscars

Silent movie "The Artist" won five Oscars including the coveted Best Picture prize at the 84th Academy Awards early this morning.

Director Michel Hazanavicius winning on his first ever nomination thanked the dog, Uggie, who appears in the film but added: "I don't think he cares."

The film also won the Oscars for best original score and best costumes.

Martin Scorsese's Hugo also won five Oscars, mainly in technical categories.

Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady - her 17th Oscar nomination and third Oscar win.

She thanked the Academy "for this inexplicably wonderful career".

Morgan Freeman introduced the evening before a comic video was shown of George Clooney waking up host Billy Crystal with a kiss - in a parody of his nominated film The Descendants.

Crystal hosted the 84th Oscars ceremony at the Kodak theatre in Los Angeles.

On the red carpet, British comedy actor Sacha Baron Cohen turned up dressed in a white military uniform and sporting a beard and sunglasses, promoting his upcoming film The Dictator.

Cohen arrived holding an urn he jokingly claimed contained the ashes of Kim Jong Il, the late leader of North Korea.

1929 was the last year that a silent movie won an Oscar.

Canadian actor Christopher Plummer became the oldest Oscar winner at 82 by taking the best supporting actor prize.

He was widely tipped to win for his portrayal of a father who comes out as a gay man after his wife dies in Beginners.

Plummer thanked his real-life wife who, he said, deserved "the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day".

The Help's Octavia Spencer won the best supporting actress Oscar and gave an emotional acceptance speech, receiving a standing ovation from the audience.

Best adapted screenplay went to Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for The Descendants, starring George Clooney.

Veteran screenwriter and director Woody Allen won best original screenplay for Midnight in Paris but was not there to collect the award.

Rango won best animation, a first Academy award and nomination for director Gore Verbinski, who said it was "made by grown-ups acting like a bunch of children".

The film features the voice of Johnny Depp, who plays a chameleon.

Best animated short film was The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore.

The Oscar for costume design went to Mark Bridges for The Artist, who thanked the Academy "for making a lifelong dream come true".

The best make-up prize went to J Roy Helland and British artist Mark Coulier for The Iron Lady.

Iran's A Separation became the first Iranian film to win an Oscar when Sandra Bullock presented director Asghar Farhadi with best foreign language film.

Set in contemporary Iran, it tells the story of a marriage break-down.

Best film editing went to Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - the pair also won last year for The Social Network. Both films were directed by David Fincher.

The Oscar for best original song was won by Bret Mackenzie for Man or Muppet from the soundtrack to The Muppets.

Best documentary went to Undefeated, a film about an inner city American football team whose fortunes are turned around by a new coach.

The executive producer of the film was rapper Sean 'P Diddy' Combs.

Northern Ireland film The Shore won the best live action short film.

Saving Face, about a British-Pakastani doctor who helps women who have been injured in acid attacks, won best documentary short.

The winners in all categories at the 84th Academy Awards:

- Best picture: "The Artist."

- Best director: Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist."

- Best leading actor: Jean Dujardin in "The Artist."

- Best leading actress: Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady."

- Best supporting actor: Christopher Plummer in "Beginners."

- Best supporting actress: Octavia Spencer in "The Help."

- Best foreign language film: "A Separation" (Iran).

- Best animated feature: "Rango."

- Best original screenplay: "Midnight in Paris."

- Best adapted screenplay: "The Descendants."

- Best original score: "The Artist."

- Best original song: "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets."

- Best art direction: "Hugo."

- Best cinematography: "Hugo."

- Best costume design: "The Artist."

- Best documentary feature: "Undefeated."

- Best documentary short: "Saving Face."

- Best film editing: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

- Best makeup: "The Iron Lady."

- Best short animated film: "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore."

- Best short live action film: "The Shore."

- Best sound editing: "Hugo."

- Best sound mixing: "Hugo."

- Best visual effects: "Hugo."