Best Picture: Argo
Argo also won Academy Awards for Adapted Screenplay (Chris Terrio) and Film Editing (William Goldenberg).
As one of the producers of Argo, Best Picture recipient George Clooney became the only person to receive nominations for both lead and supporting acting categories, directing, original and adapted screenplay, and Best Picture. He is also the first person since Michael Douglas to win Oscars for acting and Best Picture.
With Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis became the first three-time Best Actor winner with previous wins for My Left Foot (1989) and There Will Be Blood (2007). He is also the only non-American to win more than once in the category.
Director Ang Lee won his second Oscar for Directing for Life of Pi, following his previous win for Brokeback Mountain at the 2006 ceremony. Backstage, Lee expressed his astonishment at encountering presenter Jack Nicholson at both shows.
A tie was declared for the sixth time in Oscar history, with both Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall winning for Sound Editing. Mark Wahlberg presented both alongside his title costar from the film Ted.
Seth MacFarlane hosted for the first time and presented an opening number featuring a number of guest appearances including Charlize Theron, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Sally Field and William Shatner.
Skyfall became the first James Bond film to win two Oscars, and its theme song of the same title by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth was the first Bond song to win Original Song. The previous nominated 007 theme songs were Live And Let Die, Nobody Does It Better and For Your Eyes Only.
The James Bond film franchise also celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012, which the Oscars commemorated with a special tribute including a performance of Goldfinger by Dame Shirley Bassey.
Barbra Streisand sang on the Oscars for the first time since her performance of Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born) at the 49th Academy Awards in 1977. Her rendition of The Way We Were was dedicated to her late friend, Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote the music to the signature song.
Honorary Award
To Hal Needham, an innovator, mentor, and master technician who elevated his craft to an art and made the impossible look easy.
Honorary Award
To D.A. Pennebaker, who redefined the language of film and taught a generation of filmmakers to look to reality for inspiration.
Honorary Award
To George Stevens, Jr., a tireless champion of the arts in America and especially that most American of arts: the Hollywood film.
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
To Jeffrey Katzenberg, who has led our community in enlightened philanthropy by his extraordinary example.