The Best Picture winner "The Artist," producer Thomas Langmann (C) addresses the audience together with the movie cast onstage at the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. AFP PHOTO Robyn BECK
HOLLYWOOD — Silent movie “The Artist” won the Academy Award for Best Picture on Sunday, crowning its triumphal procession through Hollywood’s annual awards season.
The movie also won for Michel Hazanavicius the best director plum and best actor for Jean Dujardin.
Meryl Streep got a best actress Oscar for “The Iron Lady” – her third in three decades, having won her last for “Sophie’s Choice” in the ‘80s.
Christopher Plummer won for best supporting actor for “Beginners” and Octavia Spencer as best supporting actress for “The Help”.
The French-directed black-and-white movie beat eight rivals for the top Oscars prize, including Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” and hit civil rights drama “The Help.”
Other movies shortlisted for best film were “The Descendants” starring George Clooney, baseball movie “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt, Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” “The Tree of Life” and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.”
“The Artist,” which tells the story of a silent-era film star whose career is torpedoed by the arrival of “the talkies,” was shortlisted in 10 categories at Sunday’s Oscars, only one fewer than top-nominated “Hugo” with 11.
“The Artist” won a total of five prizes including a best director Oscar for Michel Hazanavicius and a best actor trophy for Jean Dujardin. The film also won Oscars for best original score and best costume design.