81st Academy Awards

The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2008 and took place on February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories. The ceremony was televised in the United States by ABC, and was produced by Bill Condon and Laurence Mark and directed by Roger Goodman. Hugh Jackman hosted the show for the first time.^[7] Two weeks earlier in a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California held on February 7, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Jessica Biel.^[8]

81st Academy Awards
Official poster
Date	February 22, 2009 (2009-02-22)
Site	Kodak Theatre Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Hosted by	Hugh Jackman^[1]
Preshow hosts	Jess Cagle Tim Gunn Robin Roberts^[2]
Produced by	Bill Condon Laurence Mark^[3]
Directed by	Roger Goodman^[4]
Highlights
Best Picture	Slumdog Millionaire
Most awards	Slumdog Millionaire (8)
Most nominations	The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (13)
TV in the United States
Network	ABC
Duration	3 hours, 30 minutes^[5]
Ratings	36.94 million 20.88% (Nielsen ratings)^[6]
← 80th Academy Awards 82nd →

Slumdog Millionaire won eight awards, including Best Picture.^[9][10][11] Other winners included The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with three awards, The Dark Knight and Milk with two, and Departures, The Duchess, La Maison en Petits Cubes, Man on Wire, The Reader, Smile Pinki, Toyland, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and WALL•E with one. The telecast garnered almost 37 million viewers in the United States.

Winners and nominees

 

The Slumdog Millionaire team at the 81st Academy Awards

The nominees for the 81st Academy Awards were announced on January 22, 2009, at 5:38 p.m. PST (13:38 UTC) at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Sid Ganis, president of the Academy, and the actor Forest Whitaker.^[12] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received the most nominations with thirteen (the ninth film to garner that many nominations); Slumdog Millionaire came in second with ten.^[12][13] This was the fifth and final year during the period when Best Picture was limited to only five nominees (1944–2008), where the five films matched precisely with those nominated in the Best Director category.

The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on February 22, 2009.^[14] Slumdog Millionaire was the eleventh film to win Best Picture without any acting nominations.^[15] Sean Penn became the ninth person to win Best Lead Actor twice.^[16] Best Supporting Actor winner Heath Ledger became the second performer to win a posthumous acting Oscar. The first actor to receive this distinction was Peter Finch, who posthumously won Best Actor for Network two months after his death in January 1977.^[17] Coincidentally, both actors were the first native Australians to win Oscars in their respective categories. With its six nominations, WALL•E tied with 1991's Beauty and the Beast as the most nominated animated film in Oscar history.^[13]

Awards

 

Danny Boyle, Best Director winner

 

Sean Penn, Best Actor winner

 

Kate Winslet, Best Actress winner

 

Heath Ledger, Best Supporting Actor winner

 

Penélope Cruz, Best Supporting Actress winner

 

Dustin Lance Black, Best Original Screenplay winner

 

A. R. Rahman, Best Original Score winner and Best Original Song co-winner

 

Gulzar, Best Original Song co-winner

 

Andrew Stanton, Best Animated Feature winner

 

Simon Chinn, Best Documentary Feature co-winner

 

James Marsh, Best Documentary Feature co-winner

 

Kunio Katō, Best Animated Short Film winner

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger (‡).^[18]

Best Picture Slumdog Millionaire – Christian Colson, producer‡ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  – Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, producers Frost/Nixon – Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, producers Milk – Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, producers The Reader – Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris, producers	Best Director Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire‡ David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon Gus Van Sant – Milk Stephen Daldry – The Reader
Best Actor Sean Penn – Milk as Harvey Milk‡ Richard Jenkins – The Visitor as Walter Vale Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon as Richard Nixon Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Benjamin Button Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler as Randy "The Ram" Robinson	Best Actress Kate Winslet – The Reader as Hanna Schmitz‡ Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married as Kym Buchman Angelina Jolie – Changeling as Christine Collins Melissa Leo – Frozen River as Ray Eddy Meryl Streep – Doubt as Sister Aloysius Beauvier
Best Supporting Actor Heath Ledger† – The Dark Knight as The Joker‡ (posthumous award^[A]) Josh Brolin – Milk as Dan White Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder as Kirk Lazarus Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt as Father Brendan Flynn Michael Shannon – Revolutionary Road as John Givings Jr.	Best Supporting Actress Penélope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona as María Elena‡ Amy Adams – Doubt as Sister James Viola Davis – Doubt as Mrs. Miller Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Queenie Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler as Cassidy/Pam
Best Original Screenplay Milk – Dustin Lance Black‡ Frozen River – Courtney Hunt Happy-Go-Lucky – Mike Leigh In Bruges – Martin McDonagh WALL•E – Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter	Best Adapted Screenplay Slumdog Millionaire – Simon Beaufoy; based on the novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup‡ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Eric Roth and Robin Swicord; based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald Doubt – John Patrick Shanley; based on his play Frost/Nixon – Peter Morgan; based on his stage play The Reader – David Hare; based on the novel Der Vorleser by Bernhard Schlink
Best Animated Feature Film WALL•E – Andrew Stanton‡ Bolt – Chris Williams and Byron Howard Kung Fu Panda – Mark Osborne and John Stevenson	Best Foreign Language Film Departures (Japan) in Japanese – Yōjirō Takita‡ The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany) in German – Uli Edel The Class (France) in French – Laurent Cantet Revanche (Austria) in German – Götz Spielmann Waltz with Bashir (Israel) in Hebrew – Ari Folman
Best Documentary Feature Man on Wire – James Marsh and Simon Chinn‡ The Betrayal – Nerakhoon – Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath Encounters at the End of the World – Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser The Garden – Scott Hamilton Kennedy Trouble the Water – Carl Deal and Tia Lessin	Best Documentary Short Subject Smile Pinki – Megan Mylan‡ The Conscience of Nhem En – Steven Okazaki The Final Inch – Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306 – Adam Pertovsky and Margaret Hyde
Best Live Action Short Film Toyland (Spielzeugland) — Jochen Alexander Freydank‡ Manon on the Asphalt — Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont New Boy — Steph Green and Tamara Anghie On the Line (Auf der Strecke) — Reto Caffi The Pig (Grisen) — Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh	Best Animated Short Film La Maison en Petits Cubes – Kunio Katō‡ Lavatory – Lovestory – Konstantin Bronzit Oktapodi – Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand Presto – Doug Sweetland This Way Up – Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes
Best Original Score Slumdog Millionaire – A. R. Rahman‡ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Alexandre Desplat Defiance – James Newton Howard Milk – Danny Elfman WALL•E – Thomas Newman	Best Original Song "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire – Music by A. R. Rahman; lyrics by Gulzar‡ "Down to Earth" from WALL•E – Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; lyrics by Peter Gabriel "O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire – Music and lyrics by A. R. Rahman and M.I.A.
Best Sound Editing The Dark Knight – Richard King‡ Iron Man – Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes Slumdog Millionaire – Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers WALL•E – Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood Wanted – Wylie Stateman	Best Sound Mixing Slumdog Millionaire – Resul Pookutty, Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp‡ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten The Dark Knight – Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick WALL•E – Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt Wanted – Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt
Best Art Direction The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo‡ Changeling – Art Direction: James J. Murakami; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis The Dark Knight – Art Direction: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Peter Lando The Duchess – Art Direction: Michael Carlin; Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway Revolutionary Road – Art Direction: Kristi Zea; Set Decoration: Debra Schutt	Best Cinematography Slumdog Millionaire – Anthony Dod Mantle‡ Changeling – Tom Stern The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Claudio Miranda The Dark Knight – Wally Pfister The Reader – Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
Best Makeup The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Greg Cannom‡ The Dark Knight – John Caglione Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan Hellboy II: The Golden Army – Mike Elizalde and Thomas Floutz	Best Costume Design The Duchess – Michael O'Connor‡ Australia – Catherine Martin The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Jacqueline West Milk – Danny Glicker Revolutionary Road – Albert Wolsky
Best Film Editing Slumdog Millionaire – Chris Dickens‡ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall The Dark Knight – Lee Smith Frost/Nixon – Mike Hill and Daniel P. Hanley Milk – Elliot Graham	Best Visual Effects The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron‡ The Dark Knight – Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin Iron Man – John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

• Jerry Lewis^[19]

Films with multiple nominations and awards

The following 15 films received multiple nominations: Nominations Film 13 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 10 Slumdog Millionaire 8 The Dark Knight Milk 6 WALL•E 5 Doubt Frost/Nixon The Reader 3 Changeling Revolutionary Road 2 The Wrestler The Duchess Frozen River Iron Man Wanted

The following four films received multiple awards: Awards Film 8 Slumdog Millionaire 3 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2 The Dark Knight Milk

Presenters and performers

The following individuals presented awards or performed musical numbers.^[20][21][22]

Presenters

Name(s)	Role
Gina Tuttle	Announcer for the 81st annual Academy Awards
Whoopi Goldberg Goldie Hawn Anjelica Huston Eva Marie Saint Tilda Swinton	Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actress
Tina Fey Steve Martin	Presenters of the awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay
Jennifer Aniston Jack Black	Introducers of the Animation 2008 montage and presenters of the awards for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Animated Short Film
Daniel Craig Sarah Jessica Parker	Presenters of the awards for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup
Robert Pattinson Amanda Seyfried	Introducers of the Romance 2008 montage
Natalie Portman Ben Stiller	Presenters of the awards for Best Cinematography
Jessica Biel	Presenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award
James Franco Seth Rogen Janusz Kamiński	Presenters of the awards for Best Live Action Short Film
Alan Arkin Cuba Gooding Jr. Joel Grey Kevin Kline Christopher Walken	Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actor
Bill Maher	Presenter of the awards for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Subject
Will Smith	Presenter of the awards for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Film Editing
Eddie Murphy	Presenter of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Zac Efron Alicia Keys	Presenters of the awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song and introducers of the special song and dance number performing the Best Original Song nominees
Liam Neeson Freida Pinto	Presenters of the award for Best Foreign Language Film
Queen Latifah	Presenter of the In Memoriam tribute
Reese Witherspoon	Presenter of the award for Best Director
Halle Berry Marion Cotillard Nicole Kidman Sophia Loren Shirley MacLaine	Presenters of the award for Best Actress
Adrien Brody Michael Douglas Robert De Niro Anthony Hopkins Ben Kingsley	Presenters of the award for Best Actor
Steven Spielberg	Presenter of the Best Picture segment and the award for Best Picture

Performers

Name(s)	Role	Performed
Michael Giacchino	Musical Arranger	Orchestral
Hugh Jackman Anne Hathaway	Performers	Opening Number
Hugh Jackman Beyoncé Knowles Zac Efron Vanessa Hudgens Amanda Seyfried Dominic Cooper Spirit of Troy	Performers	"Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" from Top Hat "Singin' in the Rain" from Singin' in the Rain "Big Spender" from Sweet Charity "Maria" from West Side Story "You're The One That I Want" from Grease "Maria" from The Sound of Music "All That Jazz" from Chicago "Lady Marmalade" from Moulin Rouge! "One Night Only" from Dreamgirls "You Can't Stop The Beat" from Hairspray "I Don't Know How To Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar "At Last" from Orchestra Wives "Last Chance" from High School Musical 3: Senior Year "Mamma Mia" from Mamma Mia! "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from Evita "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz "Somewhere" from West Side Story
A. R. Rahman	Performer	"O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire
John Legend Soweto Gospel Choir	Performers	"Down to Earth" from WALL-E
A. R. Rahman Mahalaxmi Iyer Tanvi Shah	Performers	"Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire
Queen Latifah	Performer	"I'll Be Seeing You" during the annual In Memoriam tribute

Ceremony information

 

Hugh Jackman hosted the 81st Academy Awards.

Due to the declining viewership of the recent Academy Awards ceremonies, AMPAS had contracted an entirely new production team in an attempt to revive interest surrounding both the awards and festivities. In September 2008, the Academy selected producers Bill Condon and Laurence Mark to co-produce the telecast.^[23] Nearly three months later, actor Hugh Jackman, who had previously emceed three consecutive Tony Awards ceremonies between 2003 and 2005, was chosen as host of the 2009 gala.^[24] Jackman expressed his anticipation of the awards in the few days preceding, and had commented that he was thrilled with preparations for the ceremony.^[25][26]

Notable changes were introduced in the production of the telecast. In an attempt to build suspense and curiosity leading up to the awards, Condon and Mark announced that they would not reveal any of the presenters or performers who would participate in the Oscarcast.^[27] Another unique feature of the ceremony was that the orchestra performed onstage instead of being relegated to a pit.^[28] In a break from previous presentations, five previous Oscar-winning performers presented each of the acting categories as opposed to only one or two.^[29] In addition, the Academy announced that for the first time since Oscar began broadcasting on television, film studios would be able to televise advertisements promoting their upcoming films.^[30] Furthermore, a montage of upcoming 2009 films was shown over the ceremony's closing credits.^[31]

Several other people participated in the production of the ceremony. Chris Harrison hosted "Road to the Oscars", a weekly behind-the-scenes video blog on the Oscar ceremony website.^[32] David Rockwell designed a new set and stage design for the ceremony.^[33] Film historian and author Robert Osborne greeted guests entering the festivities at the Hollywood and Highland Center.^[34] Film director Judd Apatow filmed a comedy montage which featured Seth Rogen and James Franco reprising their roles from Pineapple Express.^[35] Director Baz Luhrmann produced a song and dance number saluting movie musicals.^[36]

Peter Gabriel, who was originally scheduled to perform his nominated song "Down to Earth" from WALL-E during the live broadcast, declined to perform after learning that he would be allowed to sing only 65 seconds of the song during the ceremony's Best Original Song nominee performances.^[37] Gabriel still attended the ceremony but singer John Legend, backed by the Soweto Gospel Choir, performed the song in place of Gabriel.^[38]

Box office performance of nominated films

Continuing a trend in recent years, the field of major nominees favored independent, low-budget films over blockbusters.^[39][40] However, one of the nominees for Best Picture had grossed over $100 million before the nominations were announced (compared with none from the previous year).^[41] The combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees when the Oscars were announced was $188 million with an average gross of $37.7 million per film.^[42]

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $104.4 million in domestic box office receipts.^[41] The film was followed by Slumdog Millionaire ($44.7 million), Milk ($20.7 million), Frost/Nixon ($8.8 million), and finally The Reader ($8.3 million).^[42] Among the rest of the top 50 releases of 2008 in U.S. box office before the nominations, 33 nominations went to nine films on the list. Only The Dark Knight (1st), WALL-E (5th), Kung Fu Panda (6th), Bolt (19th), Tropic Thunder (20th), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (21st) were nominated for directing, acting, screenwriting, Best Picture or Animated Feature.^[43] The other top-50 box office hits that earned nominations were Iron Man (2nd), Wanted (16th), and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (41st).^[43]

Faked winners leak

Shortly after the voting polls were closed for the awards, a purported list of winners was posted online. The list, which bore a purported signature from Academy president Sid Ganis, stated that Mickey Rourke won for Best Actor, Kate Winslet won for Best Actress, Amy Adams won for Best Supporting Actress, Heath Ledger won for Best Supporting Actor, and Slumdog Millionaire won for Best Picture.^[44] AMPAS spokeswoman Leslie Unger later revealed that the list was "a complete fraud", and that PricewaterhouseCoopers had just begun to count the ballots.^[45]

Critical reviews

The show received a mixed reception from media publications. Some media outlets received the broadcast more positively. Television critic Robert Bianco of USA Today gave Jackman an average review but extolled producers Condon and Mark saying that the broadcast felt "faster and more intimate without sacrificing Hollywood glamour."^[46] Vanity Fair columnist Julian Sancton gave high marks for Jackman's hosting performance stating "After several years of glamour-deflating wisecracks from blasé hosts like Jon Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, and Steve Martin, the new producers hired an M.C. who was willing to break a sweat."^[47] Film critic Roger Ebert lauded Jackman's performance noting that he "would be a charmer as host, and he was." Of the show itself, Ebert added, "It was the best Oscar show I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty."^[48]

Other media outlets were more critical of the show. Los Angeles Times columnist Mary McNamara was thought Jackman's performance "obliterated all memory" of David Letterman's hosting the ceremony in 1995, which was widely panned.^[49] Time television critic James Poniewozik wrote that Jackman was "charming and game and I bet he absolutely killed in the room. But he didn't really project beyond the room, nor did he much seem to be trying to." He also noted that while there were some entertaining moments, "the broadcast overall had problems of pacing."^[50] Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune remarked, "The whole thing was driven by a manic desire to bring some old-school glamor to the proceedings." She added that the long introductions praising the acting nominees slowed down the proceedings.^[51]

Ratings and reception

The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 36.94 million people over its length, which was a 13% increase from the record lows of the previous year's ceremony.^[52][53] An estimated, 68.48 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards. The show also drew higher Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony, with 20.88% of households watching over a 32.44 share.^[54] In addition, the program scored a 12.43 rating over a 30.61 share among the 18–49 demographic, which was a 13 percent increase.^[54]

In July 2009, the ceremony presentation received ten nominations at the 61st Primetime Emmys.^[55] Two months later, the ceremony won four awards including Outstanding Choreography (Rob Ashford), Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (Hugh Jackman Opening Number: William Ross, John Kimbrough, Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, Ben Schwartz), Outstanding Short Form Picture Editing, (Best Motion Picture Montage: Kyle Cooper, Hal Honigsberg), and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Or Music Series Or Special.^[56][57]

In Memoriam

Main article: List of 81st Academy Awards In Memoriam tribute honorees

The annual In Memoriam tribute was presented by actress Queen Latifah. She performed the song "I'll Be Seeing You" during the segment.^[58][59]

• Cyd Charisse – Actress
• Bernie Mac – Actor, comedian
• Bud Stone – Executive
• Ollie Johnston – Animator
• Van Johnson – Actor
• J. Paul Huntsman – Sound actor
• Michael Crichton – Writer, director
• Nina Foch – Actress
• Pat Hingle – Actor
• Harold Pinter – Writer
• Charles H. Joffe – Producer
• Kon Ichikawa – Director
• Charles H. Schneer – Producer
• Abby Mann – Screenwriter
• Roy Scheider – Actor
• David Watkin – Director of photography
• Robert Mulligan – Director
• Evelyn Keyes – Actress
• Richard Widmark – Actor
• Claude Berri – Director
• Maila Nurmi – Actress
• Isaac Hayes – Musician, actor
• Leonard Rosenman – Composer
• Ricardo Montalbán – Actor
• Manny Farber – Film critic
• Robert DoQui – Actor
• Jules Dassin – Director
• Paul Scofield – Actor
• John Michael Hayes – Screenwriter
• Warren Cowan – Publicist
• Joseph M. Caracciolo – Producer
• Stan Winston – Special effects
• Ned Tanen – Executive producer
• James Whitmore – Actor
• Charlton Heston – Actor
• Anthony Minghella – Director, producer
• Sydney Pollack – Director, producer
• Paul Newman – Actor

See also

• 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards
• 29th Golden Raspberry Awards
• 51st Grammy Awards
• 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
• 62nd British Academy Film Awards
• 63rd Tony Awards
• 66th Golden Globe Awards
• List of submissions to the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film

Notes

A^ :Following talks with his family in Australia, the Academy determined that Ledger's daughter, Matilda Rose Ledger, would own the award. However, due to Matilda's age, she will not gain full ownership of the statuette until her eighteenth birthday in 2023.^[60] Until that time, her mother, actress Michelle Williams, will hold the statuette in trust for Matilda.^[61] Ledger's family attended the ceremony. His parents and sister accepted the award on stage on his behalf.^[17]

References

1. Moore, Roger; Hal Boedeker; Dewyane Bevil (December 13, 2008). "Hugh Jackman is tapped to host Oscars telecast". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
2. Eng, Joyce (February 11, 2009). "Tim Gunn, Robin Roberts to Host ABC Oscar Pre-Show". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
3. Cohen, Sandy (September 24, 2008). "Oscars tap Mark, Condon to oversee telecast". USA Today. Gannett Company. from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
4. "Roger Goodman Named Director for 81st Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AMPAS. October 24, 2008. from the original on March 9, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
5. Lowry, Brian (February 22, 2009). "Review: "The 81st annual Academy Awards – From the Couch"". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. from the original on July 24, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
6. Seidman, Robert (February 24, 2009). . TVbytheNumbers. Tribune Media. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
7. Vena, Joyce (December 12, 2008). "Hugh Jackman Will Host The 2009 Oscars, Academy Confirms". MTV. Viacom Media Networks. from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
8. O'Neil, Tom (February 3, 2009). "Jessica Biel emcees sci-tech Oscars". Los Angeles Times. from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
9. Leopold, Todd (February 22, 2009). "'Slumdog' makes history, sweeps Oscars". CNN. Time Warner. from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
10. Horn, John (February 23, 2009). "'Slumdog' strikes it rich with 8 Oscar wins". Los Angeles Times. from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
11. Vancheri, Barbara (February 23, 2009). "Top Dog: Passage to India proves golden for Mumbai fairy tale". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Block Communications. from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
12. "Forest Whitaker to Join Academy President Sid Ganis for Oscar Nominations". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. January 20, 2009. from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
13. O'Neil, Tom (January 22, 2009). "Oscar nominations: Fascinating facts, figures and milestones". Los Angeles Times. from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
14. "Academy Award winners and nominees". CNN. Time Warner. February 22, 2009. from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
15. Eng, Joyce (February 20, 2009). "Oscars: Who Will Win and Who Will Surprise?". TV Guide. from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
16. O'Neil, Tom (February 23, 2009). "Sean Penn is the ninth actor to win two lead Oscars". Los Angeles Times. from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
17. Johnson, Reed (February 23, 2009). "For Heath Ledger, a bittersweet salute". Los Angeles Times. from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
18. "The 81st Academy Awards (2009) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AMPAS. from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
19. Braxton, Greg (February 23, 2009). "The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Jerry Lewis". Los Angeles Times. from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
20. Finke, Nikki (February 22, 2009). "Live-Snarking 2009 Academy Awards: Oscars Slumming, Show Stumbling". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
21. Smith, Neil (February 21, 2009). "Surprises expected at Oscar gala". BBC News. BBC. from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
22. Rose, Adam (February 26, 2009). "Trojan's cementing reputation as Hollywood's band". Los Angeles Times. from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
23. King, Susan (September 24, 2008). "Laurence Mark, Bill Condon to produce Oscars". Los Angeles Times. from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
24. "Hugh Jackman To Host Oscars". CBS News. CBS Corporation. December 12, 2008. from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
25. Escherich, Katie (February 20, 2009). "Hugh Jackman on Hosting Oscars: 'A Night of Celebration'". ABC News. The Walt Disney Company. from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
26. Schwartz, Miisy (January 28, 2009). "Hugh Jackman: Oscars' Sexiest Host?". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
27. Breznican, Anthony (February 19, 2009). "The Oscar 11: Team aims to revive awards' telecast". USA Today. Gannett Company. from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
28. "I'm with the band! Oscars stage design revealed". NBC News. NBCUniversal. February 20, 2009. from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
29. Clark, Mike (February 23, 2009). "Oscar showtime: This year vs. others". USA Today. Gannett Company. from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
30. Gray, Timothy M.; Cynthia Littleton (October 8, 2008). . Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
31. Davis, Erik (February 23, 2009). . Moviefone. AOL. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
32. Gelman, Vlada (February 18, 2009). "Oscar.com Announces Web Shows". TelevisionWeek. Crain Communications. from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
33. Brown, Patricia Leigh (February 12, 2009). "The Little Gold Man in a New Blue World". The New York Times. from the original on July 17, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
34. "Robert Osborne to Greet Celebrities on Oscar's Red Carpet". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AMPAS. February 17, 2009. from the original on June 1, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
35. Eng, Joyce (February 23, 2009). "Top Oscar Moments: Tears for a Joker, Million-Dollar Babies and More". TV Guide. from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
36. Sutherland, Ben (February 23, 2009). "Jackman on song at his first Oscars". BBC News. BBC. from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
37. Breznican, Anthony (February 13, 2009). "Peter Gabriel won't perform at Oscars". USA Today. Gannett Company. from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
38. Donahue, Ann (February 23, 2009). "'Slumdog Millionaire' Sweeps Music Oscars". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
39. Corliss, Richard (February 12, 2009). "How the Oscars Became the Emmys". Time. Time Warner. from the original on July 24, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
40. Cieply, Michael (June 24, 2009). "Academy Expands Best-Picture Pool to 10". The New York Times. from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
41. Eller, Claudia (February 23, 2009). "'Benjamin Button's' Oscar nominations may not pay off for Paramount". Los Angeles Times. from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
42. "2008 Academy Award Nominations and Winner for Best Picture". Box Office Mojo. from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
43. "2008 Oscar nominations and wins by movie". Box Office Mojo. from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
44. Carlson, Nicholas (February 21, 2009). "Leaked List Of Oscar Winners Is Fake". Business Insiser. from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
45. Finn, Natalie (February 19, 2009). "Leaked Oscar-Winner List Is a "Complete Fraud"". E!. NBCUniversal. from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
46. Bianco, Robert (February 23, 2009). "For this Oscar show, intimacy, glamour share the stage". USA Today. Gannett Company. from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
47. Sancton, Julian (February 23, 2009). . Vanity Fair. Condé Nast Publications. Archived from the original on July 15, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
48. Ebert, Roger (February 23, 2009). . Chicago Sun-Times. Sun Times Media Group. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
49. McNamara, Mary (February 23, 2009). "The Oscars show itself was puttin' on the fritz". Los Angeles Times. from the original on January 21, 2016.
50. Poniewozik, James (February 23, 2009). "The Morning After: Oscar's Old Song and Dance". Time. Time Warner. from the original on November 4, 2013.
51. Ryan, Maureen (February 23, 2009). "New format, host are unable to rescue a plodding telecast". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. from the original on November 2, 2013.
52. Seidman, Robert (February 24, 2009). . TVbytheNumbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
53. Adelian, Josef (February 24, 2009). "Oscar TV Ratings: Beter, But Not Good". TVLine. Penske Media Corporation. from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
54. . Zap2it. February 23, 2009. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
55. "Primetime Emmy Award Database". Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. ATAS. from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
56. "Complete List of Winners From the 2009 Emmy Awards". E!. NBCUniversal. September 13, 2009. from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
57. O'Neil, Tom (September 21, 2009). "Who's really surprised? Oscars upstage Justin Timberlake at the Emmys". Los Angeles Times. from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
58. Malkin, Marc (February 9, 2009). "The Queen Will Reign on Oscar Night". E!. NBCUniversal. from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
59. Lo, Ricky (February 24, 2009). "And the Oscar goes to..." The Philippine Star. from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
60. Pond, Steve (February 18, 2009). "If Ledger Wins, Oscar Goes To Daughter". CBS News. CBS Corporation. from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
61. Gornstein, Leslie (February 19, 2009). "Why Can't Li'l Matilda Have Heath's (Potential) Oscar?". E!. NBCUniversal. from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2013.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 81st Academy Awards.

Official websites

• Academy Awards official website
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences official website
• at the Wayback Machine (archived March 4, 2009)
• The Oscars's channel on YouTube (run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

News resources

• The Oscars, 2009 BBC News
• CNN Awards Spotlight: Academy Awards
• The Envelope.com with contributions by Paul Sheehan
• Behind the times: the nominees for the 81st Annual Academy Awards World Socialist Web Site Arts Review

Analysis

• 2008 Academy Awards Winners and History Filmsite
• Academy Awards, USA: 2009 Internet Movie Database

Other resources

• The 81st Annual Academy Awards at IMDb