Oscars 2020: full list of winners as Parasite becomes first international film to win Best Picture

Bong Joon-ho's Parasite surprised and delighted the film world with four Oscar wins (Getty Images)

The South Korean thriller scooped up four awards in total - Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature - seeing off stiff competition from Sir Sam Mendes' 1917, which received three awards, all in cinematography categories.

Parasite writer and director Bong Joon-ho paid tribute to fellow nominee Martin Scorsese, quoting The Irishman creator and demanding a standing ovation for the veteran filmmaker.

He said: "When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart, 'What is the most personal is the most creative'."

Brad Pitt paid tribute to his children in an emotional speech (Getty Images)

He added: "I will drink until next morning."

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Dern, Zellweger, Pitt and Phoenix claim acting wins

The other big story of the night was Brad Pitt's first Academy Award win for acting.

Pitt earned the nod for his performance as stunt actor Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and dedicated the award to his children.

In an emotional speech, Pitt took aim at Republican senators, who last week acquitted President Donald Trump, before reflecting on his sprawling career.

He said: "They tell me I have only got 45 seconds, that is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week.

"I'm thinking maybe Quentin does a movie about it and in the end the adults do the right thing."

He continued: "Listen, I'm a bit gobsmacked. I'm not one to look back, but this has made me do so, and I think of my folks taking me to the drive-in to see Butch [Cassidy] and the Sundance [Kid] and loading up my car and moving out here. And Geena [Davis] and Ridley [Scott] giving me my first shot, to all the wonderful people I met along the way to stand here now.

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ... ain't that the truth.

"This is for my kids, who colour everything I do. I adore you."

Pitt's co-star Leonardo DiCaprio missed out on Best Actor, which went to Joaquin Phoenix for his performance as the Joker in the Batman villain's origin story.

Best Actress went to Renee Zellweger for her performance as Judy garland in biopic Judy, while Laura Dern saw off competition from Kathy Bates and Florence Pugh to win the Best Supporting Actress award.

Full list of winners

Best picture - Parasite

Actor in a leading role - Joaquin Phoenix for Joker

Actress in a leading role - Renee Zellweger for Judy

Best supporting actor - Brad Pitt for Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood

Best supporting actress - Laura Dern for Marriage Story

Directing - Bong Joon-ho for Parasite

Original screenplay - Parasite (Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won)

Adapted screenplay - Jojo Rabbit (Taika Waititi)

International feature film - Parasite

Achievement in cinematography - 1917 (Roger Deakins)

Achievement in film editing - Ford v Ferrari (Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland)

Best animated feature film - Toy Story 4

Best animated short film - Hair Love

Best live action short film - The Neighbours' Window

Achievement in production design - Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood (Production design: Barbara Ling; Set decoration: Nancy Haigh)

Achievement in costume design - Little Women (Jacqueline Durran)

Best documentary feature - American Factory

Best documentary short subject - Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You're A Girl)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) - (I'm Gonna) Love Me Again from Rocketman (Music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score) - Joker (Hildur Guonadottir)

Achievement in sound editing - Ford v Ferrari (Donald Sylvester)

Achievement in sound mixing - 1917 (Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson)

Achievement in visual effects - 1917 (Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy)

Achievement in make-up and hairstyling - Bombshell (Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker)