Actress Jennifer Hudson arrives for the Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Mortons in West Hollywood on February 25.

Bangshowbiz:

Dame Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker were crowned queen and king of the Oscars on Sunday.

The stars of The Queen and The Last King of Scotland won Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively, while Martin Scorsese won Best Director for The Departed, his first win out of six nominations in the category and 31 years since his first nomination.

As she accepted her award, Helen, struggling to hold the statuette, said: "I've got my purse in one hand, my earring in the other. Thank you, Academy.

Youknow, my sister told me that all kids love to get gold stars, and this is the biggest and the best gold star that I have ever had in my life."

An emotional Whitaker said: "Thank you. I wrote something down because I thought if it would happen that I would be a little overwhelmed and I am.

"When I was a kid, the only way that I saw movies was from the backseat of my family's car at the drive-in. It wasn't my reality to think I would be acting in movies, so receiving this honour tonight tells me that it's possible. It is possible for a kid from east Texas, who believes in his dreams, commits himself to them with his heart, to touch them, and to have them happen."

In his acceptance speech, Scorsese joked: "Could you double-check the envelope, please?"

The Departed also won Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Other winners on the night included Jennifer Hudson, who walked away with the Best Supporting Actress accolade for her performance in Dreamgirls, while Alan Arkin took Best Supporting Actor for his role in Litte Miss Sunshine.

Earlier in the night, Arkin said on the red carpet that he hoped his co-star, 10-year-old Abigail Breslin, nominated for Best Supporting Actress, lost.

He said: "I hope she loses frankly. No, I'm serious. I am not joking.

"I hope she loses. What, next year she is going to get the Nobel Prize, it's enough. She has had enough attention. I love her and I love her family and I feel enough is enough. She is a kid, she needs to have a childhood. I hope she loses."

79th annual Academy Awards list of winners:

Best Picture

The Departed

Best Actor

WINNER Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Best Actress

WINNER Helen Mirren, The Queen

Best Supporting Actor

WINNER Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Supporting Actress

WINNER Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Best Director

WINNER Martin Scorsese, The Departed

Best Original Screenplay

WINNER Little Miss Sunshine

Best Adapted Screenplay

WINNER The Departed

Foreign Language Film

WINNER The Lives of Others

Animated Feature

WINNER Happy Feet

Music (Score)

WINNER Babel

Music (Song)

WINNER I Need to Wake Up - An Inconvenient Truth

Actor Forest Whitaker and his wife Keisha arrive for the Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Mortons in West Hollywood on February 25. - REUTERS photos