'Precious' Makes History at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards

There were few shockers at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards last night, but history was made.  The expected winners like Sandra Bullock for best actress, Jeff Bridges for best actor and Mo'Nique for best supporting actress as the mentally ill mother in "Precious," all took home honors.  In addition, Friday night, "Precious" earned five wins at the Independent Spirit Awards: best director, best actress, best supporting actress, best feature and best first screenplay. 

Geoffrey Fletcher and Mo'Nique

Mo'Nique's win makes her the fifth Black woman to win an Oscar.  She joins the ranks of Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry and Jennifer Hudson.  In her speech, the always gracious Mo' thanked Hattie McDaniel (the color of her dress and the flower in her hair were tributes to the "Gone with the Wind" actress), Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, and her BET family; but started off by saying, "First, I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics."  Congratulations Mo'Nique!

Kathryn Bigelow deservingly received best director for "The Hurt Locker," becoming the first woman to win in the best director category in the history of the Academy Awards (only four women have ever been nominated).  The film also won best picture, beating out the expected winner, James Cameron's "Avatar." 

In one shocker of the evening, Geoffrey Fletcher won best adapted screenplay for "Precious: Based on the Novel By Sapphire."  This is a history-making award, the first time an African American won in this category (third African American nominated). 

It was a night packed with stars, glamour and barriers being broken.