Oscars: "Slumdog Millionaire" is top dog with eight

'Slumdog Millionaire' swept the Oscars with eight awards at the 81st Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Direction and Motion Picture. Indian music maestro AR Rahman created history picking up two Oscars – one for Original Score and the other for Original Song along with distinguished Indian lyricist, filmmaker and author Gulzar.

The song that fetched the duo the Oscar was the composition "Jai Ho..."

The other Indian featuring in the awards list was sound technician Resul Pookutty for sound mixing.

The other films favoured to figure hugely in the awards this year were The Dark Knight, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Reader, The Wrestler and Milk.

Walking up the fabled Red Carpet at the Kodak Theatre were idols included Miley Cyrus, Aliciya Keys, actress Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz, The Wrestler star Marisa Tommei, Sean Penn  and a host of legendary names from Hollywood such as Steven Spielberg, Robert de Niro, Cuba Gooding Jr to name a few.

Also taking the huge cast of Slumdog Millionaire down the Red Carpet was director Danny Boyle. The two youngest cast members of this rags-to-riches story, who still live in Mumbai's slums, were making their first trip outside India.

For Slumdog Millionaire producer, and Best Picture award winner, Christian Colson, the film was a"…  collaboration between hundreds of people. All of us are here to share this moment. This was an extraordinary journey."

Performing on stage was AR Rahman with 'O Saya' and 'Jai Ho...' the nominated songs from 'Slumdog Millionaire.'

It was a special moment for the family of actor Heath Ledger of The Dark Knight - mother Sally, father Kim and sister Kate received the Best Supporting Actor trophy on Ledger's behalf.

For Best Supporting Actress Penelope Cruz it was a different kind of an experience. "Has anyone fainted here, maybe I will be the first one," she exclaimed immediately after receiving the award.

Australian entertainer Hugh Jackman opened the ceremony with a grand performance with actress Anne Hathaway.

The Oscar goes to...

Best Picture: Producer Christian Colson for Slumdog Millionaire.

Best Direction: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Song: AR Rahman and Gulzar for 'Jai Ho...' (Slumdog Millionarie)

Best Original Score: AR Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire.

Best Film Editing: Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Mixing: Ian Tapp, Resul Pookutty and Richard Pryke for Slumdog Millionaire.

Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Sean Penn for Milk.

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Kate Winslet for The Reader.

Best Foreign Language Film: Departures (Japan)

Best Sound Editing: Richard King for The Dark Knight

Best Visual Effects: Eric Barba for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Documentary Feature Film: James Marsh for Man on Wire

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight.

Best Live action short film: Jochen Alexander for Spielzeugland Toyland

Best Make-up: Greg Cannom for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Costume Design: Michael O'Connor for The Duchess

Best Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Short Film: Kunio Kato for La Maison En Petits Cubes

Best Animated Feature: Andrew Stanton for Wall-E

Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for Milk

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Best Documentary Short Subject: Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki