Academy Awards: Kathryn Bigelow is the toast of Hollywood as The Hurt Locker dominates Oscars

Published on Monday 8 March 2010 08:38

DIRECTOR Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win a best director Oscar as her Iraq war film, The Hurt Locker, swept the board at the Academy Awards in Hollywood this morning.

• The makers of The Hurt Locker (pictured left-to-right) director Kathryn Bigelow, screenwriter Mark Boal and producer Greg Shapiro collect the Academy Award for best film.

Bigelow, whose ex-husband James Camerson was nominated in the same category for Avatar, said her triumph represented "the moment of a lifetime".

The Hurt Locker was the night's big winner, scooping six awards including best film.

Hollywood veteran Jeff Bridges was named best actor for his performance in Crazy Heart and Sandra Bullock took the best actress award for her The Blind Side.

Avatar, the 3D epic which has become the world's highest-grossing film, took just three of the nine Oscars it was nominated for.

Bigelow told the audience at the Kodak Theatre: "This really is... there's no way to describe it.

"It's the moment of a lifetime.

"I would not be standing here if it wasn't for Mark Boal (author of the source novel], who risked his life for the words on the page."

Bigelow also paid tribute to soldiers still fighting.

She said: "I would like to dedicate this to the people who risk their lives on a

daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan....may they come home safe."

Both Avatar, which has become the biggest-grossing film in history, and The Hurt Locker came into the awards with nine nominations each.

Receiving the best picture gong, Bigelow said she wanted to make "perhaps one more dedication to men and women all over the world who, sorry to reiterate, who wear uniform, but even, not just the military... firemen, they're there for us and we're there for them."

More on the 82nd Academy Awards:

Full list of this year's winners and nominees

Jeff Bridges dedicates Oscar to mother and father

First-time nominee Sandra Bullock is names best actress