Plenty of surprises at Academy Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Spike Lee won his first competitive Oscar while the motion picture academy spread around awards for Ryan Coogler’s superhero sensation “Black Panther,” Alfonso Cuaron’s black-and-white personal epic “Roma,” and the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” at a brisk, hostless Oscars awash in historic wins for diversity.

“Green Book” was the biggest winner capturing the Best Picture (upsetting “Roma,” which settled for best director and best foreign film); Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali) and Best Original Screenplay.

Lee’s win for best adapted screenplay to his white supremacist drama “BlacKkKlansman” gave the Dolby Theatre ceremony Sunday its signature moment.

The crowd rose in a standing ovation, Lee leapt into the arms of presenter Samuel L. Jackson and even the backstage press room burst into applause.

Lee, whose film including footage of President Donald Trump following the violent white supremacist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, spoke about the upcoming election.

“The 2020 election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize. Let’s be on the right side of history,” said Lee, who was given an honorary Oscar in 2015.

“Let’s do the right thing! You knew I had to get that in there.”

The biggest surprise of the night, was in the best actress category.

Olivia Colman won for her Queen Anne in the royal romp “The Favourite,” denying Glenn Close her first Oscar.

Close remains the most-nominated living actor never to win, with seven nominations.

“Ooo. It’s genuinely quite stressful," said a staggered Colman, wholater turned to Close to say she was her idol, “And this is not how I wanted it to be.”

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” which kicked off the ABC telecast with a performance by Queen, won four awards despite pans from many critics and sexual assault allegations against its director, Bryan Singer, who was fired in mid-production.

Rami Malek, won best actor for his full-bodied and prosthetic teeth-aided performance, and the film was honoured for editing, sound mixing and sound editing.

“We made a film about a gay man, an immigrant who lived his life unapologetically himself,” said Malek.

“We're longing for stories like this. I am the son of immigrants from Egypt.

Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk” won Best Supporting Actress and “Shallow” (co-written by Lady Gaga, best original song.