Oscar triumph for black actors

Berry won the prestigious award for her role in the crime thriller Monster's Ball - the first time a black woman has won the award in the 74 years of the ceremony.

Berry, who beat Dame Judi Dench and Nicole Kidman and was sobbing throughout her speech, said: "This moment is so much bigger than me. This is for every nameless, faceless woman of colour for whom the door has been opened.

"Tonight the glass ceiling was broken and I hope that this ceiling is shattered forever."

Washington, who won his award for Training Day on the same night as Sidney Poitier won his honorary Oscar, joked as he said: "Forty years I've been chasing Sidney and what do they do - they go and give it to him in the same night."

The star was also awarded an Oscar in 1990 for best supporting actor in the film Glory.

A Beautiful Mind, the biopic about schizophrenic Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash, won best film and best director for Ron Howard, as well as best supporting actress for Jennifer Connelly and best adapted screenplay.

The film did well despite rumours of a "whispering campaign" against it by rival studios, and allegations in the press claiming Nash was anti-Semitic and homophobic. Nash, who attended the ceremony, hit back at the claims in a recent interview.

The 74th Academy Awards:



Hollywood veteran Howard said: "I'm grateful for an entire lifetime involved in this creative process that we do."

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring also won four Oscars, although they were in less prominent categories.

The fantasy epic, adapted from JRR Tolkien's novel, was nominated in 13 categories including best film and best director.

Other Oscars were split between Moulin Rouge and Black Hawk Down with two each, and Gosford Park and Iris, which each won one prize.

British actor Jim Broadbent was given the best supporting actor Oscar for his role in Iris, about the life of novelist Iris Murdoch, beating Ben Kingsley and Sir Ian McKellen.

He showed his surprise by exclaiming "stone the crows" as he collected his award, before thanking his fellow cast members including "special" Judi Dench.

Connelly beat Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren and Dame Maggie Smith in the best supporting actress category.

And in a surprise move, the Bosnia and Herzegovinan film No Man's Land directed by Danis Tanovic, beat the widely tipped Amelie to the best foreign film crown.

And animated movie Shrek also won a landmark first Oscar for animated film, beating Monsters Inc and Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.

Actor Robert Redford, who founded the Sundance Film Festival, was presented the honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement by singer Barbra Streisand, who described him as "a beloved and invaluable force in film".

"In keeping diversity alive, it will help keep our industry alive," he said as he collected his award.

Actor Sidney Poitier won an honorary Academy Award for his long career in film, and for representing the industry with "dignity, style and intelligence".

Randy Newman finally won the contest for best song with If I Didn't Have You, from animated movie Monsters, Inc, after being nominated 16 times before. He beat UK musicians Sting and Sir Paul McCartney.

The ceremony was held at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, where strict security measures were put in place in the wake of the 11 September attacks on the US.

It got under way with the show's host, Whoopi Goldberg, making her entrance by being lowered onto the stage Moulin Rouge-style, on a trapeze.

Referring to the rumours of a "whispering campaign" launched against some of the movies up for best film Oscar, Goldberg joked to a delighted audience: "So much mud has been thrown this year all the nominees look black."

Last year saw Gladiator win five awards, with Erin Brockovich, Traffic and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon also doing well.