Meryl Streep has gone home empty-handed from 14 Oscar ceremonies but this year’s wasn’t one of them.
Meryl beat Glenn Close, Michelle Williams, Viola Davis and Rooney Mara to win the coveted best actress award.
She looked stunned when Colin Firth read out her name, and thanked her husband Don Gummer and long-term makeup artist J Roy Helland in her gushing acceptance speech.
The 64-year-old actress has been nominated for a record 17 Academy Awards, but hasn’t won since Sophie’s Choice in 1982.
Silent film The Artist was the other big winner of the evening, taking home five awards including best picture, best actor for Jean Dujardin and best director.
Martin Scorsese’s Hugo also won five awards, including cinematography and visual effects.
The best supporting actor and actresses awards went to Beginners Christopher Plummer and The Help’s Octavia Spencer respectively.
Complete list of winners at the 2012 Academy Awards:
Best Picture: The Artist
Actor in a Leading Role: Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Actor in a Supporting Role: Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Actress in a Leading Role: Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Actress in a Supporting Role: Octavia Spencer in The Help
Animated Feature Film: Rango
Art Direction: Hugo
Cinematography: Hugo
Costume Design: The Artist
Directing: The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
Documentary (Feature): Undefeated
Documentary (Short Subject): Saving Face
Film Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Foreign Language Film: A Separation (Iran)
Makeup: The Iron Lady
Music (Original Score): The Artist
Music (Original Song): “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets
Short Film (Animated): The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Short Film (Live Action): The Shore
Sound Editing: Hugo
Sound Mixing: Hugo
Visual Effects: Hugo
Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Descendants
Writing (Original Screenplay): Midnight in Paris
