Denzel and Lion return home empty-handed

Hollywood star Denzel Washington lost out on the Best Actor Award to Casey Affleck at the 89th Academy Awards, which saw India-themed drama Lion, Hidden Figures, and Hell or High Water return home empty-handed despite multiple nominations.

A number of people had predicted that Washington will be given the top acting honour for his performance in Fences, particularly after he nabbed the Screen Actors Guild Award for best actor.

Hidden Figures went into the Oscars up for three awards, including the top prize of best picture, where some suspected the film about African-American women working at NASA could pull off an upset. Also going home empty-handed after this year's Oscars were Dev Patel-starrer Lion, up for six awards.

While Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards, which took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, Justin Timberlake kickstarted the Academy Award ceremony with a groovy performance on his Oscar-nominated song 'Can't Stop the Feeling' from Trolls. Meanwhile, Arrival only won one award, for best sound editing, after receiving eight nominations.

Coming-of-age drama Moonlight won the best picture Oscar defeating strong favourite La La Land after a shocking mix-up in the announcement of the top award.

Adapted by Jenkins from Tarell Alvin McCraney's autobiographical play 'In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue', the Moonlight has been hailed by critics for its humanity in portraying this struggle.

A tender story of a young black man coming to terms with his sexuality while growing in a rough Miami neighbourhood, the film also won Jenkins and McCraney best adapted screenplay and Mahershala Ali best supporting actor trophy.

While critics predicted Ali as the sure-shot winner in the best supporting actor category, not many believed that Moonlight will manage to ride over the popularity of La La Land, the stunning LA-set ode to jazz and romance that mesmerised Hollywood.

Justin Hurwitz took home best song and music score for his much-loved number 'City of Stars' and the enchanting soundtrack of La La Land. The track, whose lyrics are by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, features Ryan Gosling as an LA-based musician playing to the tunes of jazz and crooning, "City of stars... Are you shining just for me?... City of stars... There's so much that I can't see."

The track comes twice in the movie, at first with Gosling's character Sebastin Wilder singing it longingly and the other time Mia, played by Emma Stone, humming it along with him.

Just before announcing the winner for the best song category, singer John Legend recreated the 'City of Stars' moment on live piano with a group of dancers.

Glittering in a golden gown, Emma Stone won the Best Actress award for her role in La La Land, making it her first Oscar win. She was up against fine actors like Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Isabelle Huppert and Ruth Negga.

Thanking them, she said, "You were so extraordinary. I look up to you all."

Lifting up the golden statuette, Stone, who stars as an aspiring actor in the film, said that it is a "beautiful symbol" to continue on her journey of doing good work.She even thanked her co-star Ryan Gosling for their "incredible journey".

Casey Affleck took home the best actor Oscar for his sublime turn as a troubled loner in Manchester by the Sea. It is the first Academy award win for Afleck, who is better known as the young brother of Oscar winner Ben Affleck. An emotional Affleck acknowledged fellow nominee Denzel Washington, saying he was the first person to teach him how to act.

Damien Chazelle, the Hollywood wunderkind behind this year's most loved movie La La Land, became the youngest filmmaker to win best director trophy at the 89th Academy Awards today. Disney's Zootopia, a comedy-adventure set in a modern mammal metropolis, has won the Best Animated feature award at the Oscars. The movie beat out Moana, Kubo and the Two Strings, My Life as a Zucchini and The Red Turtle to take home the trophy.