Tom McCarthy, center left, and Michael Keaton, center right, accept the award for best picture for "Spotlight" at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The Latest on the 88th annual Academy Awards being presented Sunday at the Dolby Theatre (all times local):

11:35 p.m.

Once the best picture prize has been awarded, the first stop for many Academy Awards attendees is the Governors Ball, held just upstairs from the Oscar ceremony.

The ball is a must for Oscar winners, who can have their statuettes engraved at the party.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson, the lead acting winners, arrived within seconds of each other to have their trophies personalized.

— Sandy Cohen @apsandy on Twitter

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9:45 p.m.

This year's Oscar plan to limit laundry-list speeches met with only limited success.

Producers inaugurated an on-screen crawl that gave nominees the chance to submit names of those they wished to thank in advance so that the eventual winner could give a more substantive speech.

But even as names sped past the bottom of the screen like a stock-market report, winners couldn't resist adding onstage shoutouts, including the filmmakers for the documentary feature "Amy."

There was a mid-show effort apparently aimed at encouraging co-operation when a ceremony announcer assured the theatre audience that the thank-you scrolls were getting "huge support" on social media.

The crawl also appeared selectively: It wasn't seen for several categories, including the major acting awards won by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson.

— @lynnelber on Twitter

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9:35 p.m.

That hurricane of gold confetti that closed out this year's Oscars may have looked fabulous on TV but it wreaked havoc on everyone inside the Dolby Theatre.

Chris Evans fished pieces out of his beard. Common picked bits of it off his head. Alejandro G. Inarritu also found remnants in his long locks.

However, Leonardo DiCaprio was unfazed by the gold flecks. After the ceremony, he did a little shimmy on stage with his Oscar in hand with "The Revenant" cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki while a few flecks of confetti remained on his head.

While most attendees headed for the Governors Ball and after-parties immediately after the show, Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis stuck around to share a moment on stage with host Chris Rock.

— Derrik J. Lang @derrikjlang on Twit

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9:15 p.m.

Sam Smith's touching acceptance speech for best original song has made him a hero at the Elton John Foundation's Oscars-viewing party.

Smith dedicated his award Sunday to the gay community, saying, "''I stand here tonight as a proud gay man and I hope that we can all stand together as equals one day."

Guests at the party jumped out of their seats and applauded Smith as he spoke.

Smith won for "Writing's on the Wall," the theme from the latest James Bond film, "Spectre."

— Kay Angrum @kayangrum on Twitter.

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9:05 p.m.

The rape survivors featured in Lady Gaga's performance of her Oscar-nominated original song received a star-studded send-off as they filed out of the Dolby Theatre through the audience.

A jubilant Brie Larson embraced almost every woman and man as they walked past her front-row seat.

Kate Winslet stood up to hug members of the group.

Diane Warren, who co-wrote "'Til It Happens to You" with Gaga, immediately positioned herself at the bottom of the stage's steps to offer hugs and kisses following the moving performance.

— Derrik J. Lang @derrikjlang on Twitter.

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9 p.m.

"Spotlight" has won the best picture Academy Award.

The film tells the story of the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into child sex abuse by Catholic priests. It starred Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and John Slattery.

Eight films were nominated in the category, but throughout Hollywood's awards season the competition had been primarily between three films: "The Big Short," ''The Revenant" and "Spotlight."

"Spotlight" won the best original screenplay award at the outset of the Oscars ceremony Sunday.

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8:56 p.m.

Leonardo DiCaprio finally has an Oscar after winning the best actor Academy Award for his performance in the survival epic "The Revenant."

DiCaprio has been nominated five times for acting Oscars, dating back to 1993's "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Acting's highest honour has eluded him despite years of strong performances in films such as "The Aviator," and "The Wolf of Wall Street."

He played fur trapper Hugh Glass in director Alejandro Inarritu's "The Revenant," which involved the actor plunging into icy waters and eating raw bison to portray his character's efforts to survive in the wilderness after a bear attack.

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8:52 p.m.

Vice-President Joe Biden introduced Lady Gaga's original song-nominated performance at the Oscars with an exhortation that people step up and put an end to sexual assault.

Calling himself "the least qualified man here," Biden encouraged the audience to help change the culture by intervening in situations where consent has not or cannot be given.

The vice-president then introduced Lady Gaga, who sang and played piano on"Til It Happens to You," a song she co-wrote for "The Hunting Ground."

Gaga was joined by several victims of sexual assault, who had messages written in black on their bare arms.

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8:50 p.m.

Brie Larson is the winner of the best actress Academy Award for her portrayal of a mother struggling to raise her son in captivity.

Larson won for "Room," in which she plays a woman who gives birth to a son after being kidnapped and held captive for years. She attempts to give her son a sense of normalcy until circumstances force her to plot an escape.

It was the 26-year-old actress' first Oscar nomination. She also won Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her work on the film, which is adapted from an Emma Donoghue novel.

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8:40 p.m.

Not all of Sunday's Oscar excitement was happening at the Oscars.

In nearby West Hollywood Park, stars packed the annual Elton John AIDS Foundation viewing party, one of several swanky soirees unfolding during Sunday night's awards show.

Caitlyn Jenner posed for pictures with fans in a tight Zac Posen dress before heading inside, where she kept close to Heidi Klum, as the two laughed and whispered together;.

Other attendees included Mariah Carey, Sarah Hyland, Boy George, Hilary Swank, Steven Tyler and Lana Del Rey.

The star of the viewing party, Elton John, was expected to arrive a bit later.

— Kay Angrum @@kayangrum on Twitter.

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8:37 p.m.

Alejandro G. Inarritu is a back-to-back Oscar winner for best director.

"The Revenant" director won the directing Academy Award Sunday for the his revenge tale, which features Leonardo DiCaprio braving icy elements to tell the 19th century survival tale about a fur trapper left for dead after a bear mauling.

The Mexican filmmaker won three Oscars at last year's ceremony, including for best picture and writing "Birdman." He was nominated in 2007 as best director for "Babel." ''The Revenant" was this year's top-nominated film.

The win is the second Oscar awarded to "The Revenant" during Sunday's ceremony.

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8:27 p.m.

Sam Smith's song from the latest James Bond film is the winner of the Academy Award for best original song.

Smith and Jimmy Napes won for "Writing's On the Wall" from "Spectre." Adele's song "Skyfall" for the previous Bond film won the Academy Award in 2013.

Smith was overcome with emotion while accepting the award, referencing an article that stated that there was no openly gay Oscar winner.

Smith dedicated his win to the LGBT community and said, "I stand here tonight as a proud gay man and I hope that we can all stand together as equals one day."

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8:20 p.m.

Ennio Morricone (EHN'-yoh mor-ee-KOH'-nee) has won the Academy Award for best original score for his work on "The Hateful Eight."

The Italian composer has created some of cinema's most-recognizable music, scoring Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns such as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and music for "The Untouchables."

It is the 87-year-old's first Oscar for his work on an individual film. He was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 2007.

Morricone praised his fellow nominees, singling out "Star Wars" composer John Williams. Morricone says, "There isn't a great soundtrack without a great movie to inspire it."

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8:15 p.m.

Stars are offered hair and makeup touch-ups just before taking the stage for an Oscar presentation.

Reese Witherspoon took up the offer Sunday night but began to have second thoughts when a stylist started brushing her hair.

"I might fall asleep, though, if you brush it any more," she said. "I'm like a cat."

— Sandy Cohen @apsandy on Twitter

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8:09 p.m.

Hungary's "Son of Saul" has won the best foreign language film Academy Award.

The film tells the story of a Jewish man forced to work at a Nazi death camp who seeks a proper religious burial for a boy who he believes is his son.

Director Laszlo Nemes used long tracking shots to follow the film's protagonist as he navigates the horrors of the death camp.

It is Hungary's second Oscar in the category.

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8 p.m.

Chris Rock and his daughter's Girl Scout troop weren't just selling cookies for laughs inside the Dolby Theatre.

After appearing during the Oscar broadcast, the girls came back during commercial breaks to hawk more treats to hungry celebs.

They quickly found customers in Steven Spielberg and Benicio del Toro. Christian Bale picked up a box, too, after asking his wife to loan him the cash.

As soon as Henry Cavill scored his box of Thin Mints the "Man of Steel" star ripped it open and dug in.

Hey, even Superman gets hungry during a long awards show.

—Derrik J. Lang @derrikjlang on Twitter.

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7:45 p.m.

An intimate look at the life of late singer Amy Winehouse is the winner of the best feature documentary Academy Award.

"Amy" won the documentary honour at Sunday's ceremony. Director Asif Kapadia used archival footage and testimonials to offer new insights into Winehouse, who died in 2011 from accidental alcohol poisoning.

The film won the Grammy Award for best music film earlier this month.

The best documentary short Oscar was awarded to the film, "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness."

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7:30 p.m.

Mark Rylance is the winner of the best supporting actor Academy Award for his role as a Russian operative in "Bridge of Spies."

Rylance was a first time nominee and won Sunday for his portrayal of Russian spy Rudolf Abel, who becomes part of a high-stakes prisoner exchange during the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union.

The actor praised director Steven Spielberg and co-star Tom Hanks in his acceptance speech, which was cut short by the orchestra while Rylance was praising his fellow nominees.

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7:15 p.m.

Pixar's "Inside Out" is the winner of the best animated feature film Academy Award.

The film tells the story of a young girl's emotions as her family relocates from Minnesota to San Francisco. Director Pete Docter has said the film, which mixes science with his experience, has also resonated with the parents of special needs children.

The film features an all-star vocal cast including Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling. The win is the studio's eighth in the category.

"Bear Story" won the best animated short Academy Award during Sunday's ceremony.

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7:10 p.m.

It was a loud movie after all.

The Oscar-winning team of sound editors for "Mad Max: Fury Road" were celebrating so loudly backstage that they didn't hear their colleagues' name announced when they won for sound mixing.

The film has won six Oscars so far Sunday night.

— Sandy Cohen @apsandy on Twitter.

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7:05 p.m.

Actress and Fox News personality Stacey Dash says she wants to bring a different kind of diversity to Hollywood — and that's why she participated in one of the oddest Oscar moments.

The former "Clueless" actress has attracted attention lately for her conservative viewpoints, including suggesting on Fox that there should not be a Black History Month. Dash, who is black, also spoke out against people complaining that the Oscars didn't reflect diversity.

She was jokingly introduced by host Chris Rock as director of the Oscar's minority outreach program. Dash strode onstage to say "I cannot wait to help my people out. Happy Black History Month!"

The joke fell flat, perhaps because many people in the audience didn't understand the reference.

Dash explained online why she did it, saying ideological diversity is much harder to achieve in Hollywood.

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7 p.m.

The Oscar ceremony's producers weren't kidding when they warned attendees before the broadcast began that all winners would strictly have no more than 45 seconds for their acceptance speeches.

So far just about all the night's champions have been getting played off inside the Dolby Theatre by the orchestra, including supporting actress Oscar winner Alicia Vikander. In past years, producers have been more lenient with the time crunch when it comes to famous faces.

The show's producers said before the show they would scroll the names of people winners wanted to thank as the winners made their speeches.

— Derrik J. Lang @derrikjlang on Twitter.

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6:58 p.m.

The robots of "Ex Machina" have beat out "Star Wars" and "Mad Max" to win the visual effects Academy Award.

The thriller stars Alicia Vikander as a robot able to pass as a human. The understated visual effects beat out the seventh installment of the "Star Wars" franchise and the return of "Mad Max" to the big screen.

The honour denied a seventh Oscar win Sunday night to "Mad Max: Fury Road," which had won in several other categories.

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6:50 p.m.

Leonardo DiCaprio is the life of the party in the front row at the Oscars.

During an early commercial break, the best actor front-runner for "The Revenant" hosted a reunion with his "The Great Gatsby" co-star and friend Tobey Maguire.

Common, who won the original song Oscar last year with John Legend for "Glory" from "Selma," quickly joined the DiCaprio party for a chat. Meanwhile, Charlize Theron planted a kiss on DiCaprio's cheek as she headed back to her seat from her Oscar presenting duties.

On the other side of the theatre, Jennifer Garner made the rounds , stopping to gab with Emily Blount and Kate Winslet before heading backstage.

— Derrik J. Lang @derrikjlang on Twitter.

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6:40 p.m.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" is the winner of the Academy Award for film editing.

The award went to editor Margaret Sixel, who is the wife of "Mad Max" director George Miller.

It is the fourth award the film has won during Sunday's ceremony.

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6:38 p.m.

Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki has won the Academy Award for cinematography for the third year in a row.

The Mexican filmmaker won for his work on "The Revenant," his second win for work with director Alejandro G. Inarritu. His use of long shots and reliance only on natural light helped the film garner 13 nominations.

Lubezki won last year for Inarritu's film "Birdman" and won in 2014 for "Gravity." He has been nominated eight times in the category.

Lubezki says it is an incredible honour and thanked Inarritu and actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, who appeared in the film.

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6:35 p.m.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" is steamrolling through some early Oscar categories with three wins for the action blockbuster's costumes, makeup and production design.

The film about a future where water is a scarce resource is the second-most nominated film Sunday evening, with 10 nominations. It has won awards in the first three categories it was nominated in.

Only "The Revenant" has more Oscar nominations this year.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" is also nominated for best picture and best director for Australian George Miller, who returned the franchise to the big screen last year after a 30-year hiatus.

Colin Gibson, who won an Oscar Sunday for production design, compared the film's eclectic cast of characters to the real-life crisis the Academy faces on diversity of its film nominees. Gibson said in his acceptance speech, "I'd like to chalk this one up as the first Oscar for diversity."

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6:15 p.m.

Alicia Vikander is the winner of the best supporting actress Academy Award for her portrayal of the wife of an artist who realizes he is transgender.

Vikander is a first-time nominee for her role in "The Danish Girl" opposite actor Eddie Redmayne. Redmayne is nominated for the best actor award, which will be announced later Sunday.

The actress thanked Redmayne, calling him the best acting partner.

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6:05 p.m.

Minutes before presenting Sunday's first Oscar of the night, for original screenplay, Charlize Theron joked backstage that she'd open the envelope and reveal the winner — for a price.

She said, "I'll do it for a fiver."

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5:55 p.m.

Academy Awards host Chris Rock hardly shied away from the topic of diversity in his opening monologue, diving right in by calling the Oscars the "white people's choice awards" and noting the number of black faces shown in the opening montage of film clips.

The second-time Oscar host said in his monologue that if hosts were nominated like people in the acting categories, people would be watching Neil Patrick Harris instead.

He talked about the pressure put on him not to host the awards following the diversity controversy. He said he wasn't going to quit because "the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart."

But Rock hardly gave Hollywood a pass. He said Hollywood's racism is like sorority racism, where a girl is deemed "not Kappa material." And he said black actors should get the same opportunities as white actors — like Leonardo DiCaprio gets a great part every year.

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5:49 p.m.

The writers of "Spotlight" have won the best original screenplay Academy Award.

The script by Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy tells the story of the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation of sex abuse by Catholic priests.

"Spotlight" is also nominated for best picture and McCarthy is nominated for best director.

McCarthy says they made the film for all the journalists who hold those in power accountable.

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4:55 p.m.

It seems Ryan Seacrest does not forget.

Seacrest turned down the chance to talk to Sasha Baron Cohen on the Oscars red carpet this year, four years after Baron Cohen showered him with ashes on a red carpet.

This year, when Baron Cohen walked by with his wife, Isla Fisher, Seacrest said "No" and turned away.

Speaking to AP a moment later, Baron Cohen joked about the snub.

Later, the two men hugged it out as Baron Cohen interrupted Seacrest's interview with Lady Gaga to ask for a hug and the two embraced.

— Nekesa Moody @nekesamumbi

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4:50 p.m.

Veteran actors have a different perspective on all the Oscars hoopla.

So says Sylvester Stallone, up for a best supporting actor award for his role in "Creed." During the initial hoopla of the first "Rocky," Stallone said he didn't really appreciate what it all meant. Now he's just soaking it in.

Stallone told The Associated Press on the red carpet that "all the aches and pains go away. You feel reborn."

Same thing for Bryan Cranston, competing for best actor after playing the lead role in "Trumbo." He says he's just a kid from California's San Fernando Valley who can't quite believe his "fairy tale" life as an actor. He says he never wants to forget how lucky he is.

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4:30 p.m.

He may be a former Super Bowl champion, but on the Oscars red carpet he's just Aaron Rodgers — the boyfriend of Olivia Munn.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback dutifully stood back as media outlets interviewed his actress girlfriend.

At one point, with not much to do, he chatted up rapper and Oscar winner Common.

— Nekesa Moody, @nekesamumbi

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4:20 p.m.

Dave Grohl is attending his first Oscars, so the Foo Fighters frontman made sure to arrive in plenty of time.

Fans in the red-carpet bleachers responded by showering him with love, cheering and shouting his name.

Grohl responded with a big smile and a hearty wave.

Other early arrivals include songwriter Diane Warren, young actor Jacob Tremblay of "Room" and Whoopi Goldberg.

— Beth Harris @bethharrisap

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3:50 p.m.

Veteran actor Louis Gossett Jr. sympathizes with the protesters who say the Oscars should better represent the nation's diversity, but he and colleague Whoopi Goldberg had no interest in boycotting the event.

Gossett says that if the Oscars are going to change, it has to come from the inside.

He spoke to The Associated Press Sunday on the red carpet heading into the event. The 79-year-old actor, who performed in "Roots" and "An Officer and a Gentleman," let his feelings be known when asked who he was rooting for at the Oscars. He mentioned Will Smith, who was not nominated for his role in the movie, "Concussion."

Goldberg, also on the red carpet, says boycotts are a pain.

She said: "If you really want to protest, then don't go to the movies that don't have the people you want to see."

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3:40 p.m.

Mark Ruffalo and the director of "Spotlight" have joined a group protesting sex abuse in the Catholic Church before Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony.

The Los Angeles Times reports Sunday that Ruffalo and director Tom McCarthy joined a group of about 20 people protesting sex abuse in the Catholic Church outside Los Angeles' downtown cathedral.

Ruffalo is nominated for best supporting actor for his role as a tenacious investigative reporter who helped uncover abuse by Catholic priests in a series for the Boston Globe. The film is also nominated for best picture, and McCarthy is nominated for best director and as a co-writer of the script.

The rally was one of several nationwide organized by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

The Times reports Ruffalo told the group, "I'm here to stand with the survivors and the victims and the people we've lost from Catholic priest childhood sex abuse."

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3:25 p.m.

He's not up for an Academy Award but there's a reason chef Wolfgang Puck gets one of the loudest ovations of any celebrity on the Oscar red carpet: chocolate.

Puck's arrival Sunday created a fan frenzy in the Oscar bleachers outside the Dolby Theatre when he tossed handfuls of plastic-wrapped chocolate Oscars to the crowd.

Fans scrambled to grab the tasty treats, which will also be served to celebrities at the post-Oscars Governors Ball.

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3:10 p.m.

Rev. Al Sharpton is threatening larger protests if the Academy Awards ever has an all-white slate of actors nominated for Oscars again.

Sharpton addressed a group of several dozen protesters near the Dolby Theatre where the Oscars will be handed out Sunday evening. He has called for a boycott of the 88th annual awards show and told the group he will organize larger protests if diversity complaints are not addressed.

Sharpton says, "This will be the last night of an all-white Oscars."

All 20 actors nominated Sunday are white. Sharpton criticized the Oscars for failing to nominate films such as "Straight Outta Compton," ''Creed" or "Concussion" for any of its top honours.

Sharpton led the group in a march around the parking lot of a vacant shopping centre in Hollywood. The group shouted, "This is what diversity looks like!"

The Oscars are being hosted by comedian Chris Rock and Sharpton did not want to criticize him.

Sharpton says, "He tells jokes, I tell the truth."

Sharpton also said his group is not protesting actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, who is nominated for best actor. Sharpton says, "We are not anti-Leonardo. We are anti-exclusion."

— Derrik J. Lang (@derrikjlang on Twitter)

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2:50 p.m.

The weather is perfect for the Oscars red carpet.

Skies are partly sunny in Los Angeles and it's 73 degrees on Hollywood Boulevard outside the Dolby Theatre with a slight breeze.

It's a far cry from last year's cold and showery conditions.

There's no plastic covering the carpet, leaving it open to reveal a palm tree backdrop along the boulevard.

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2:30 p.m.

Protesters urging a boycott of the Academy Awards are congregating near the venue where the awards are being presented Sunday.

Dozens of protesters converged on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue holding signs and calling for more diversity in feature films. The protest site is near the Dolby Theatre and on a route travelled by many Oscars attendees and media covering the ceremony.

Some of the signs include the slogans, "Hollywood Must do Better" and "Shame on You."

Protesters also yelled, "Hollywood, Hollywood, you ain't looking so good" and "I got to be up on that screen."

The protests are part of a boycott of the 88th annual Academy Awards organized by Rev. Al Sharpton.

Sharpton called this year's ceremony, which features an all-white slate of acting nominees, the "white Oscars" during a press conference Sunday.

— Derrik J. Lang (@derrikjlang on Twitter)

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9 a.m.

Hollywood is bracing for an Academy Awards that more than any in recent memory, has the feel of a high-stakes showdown.

After a second straight year of all-white acting nominees prompted industry-wide scrutiny, viewers and stars alike are hanging on the opening words of host Chris Rock. The Dolby Theatre ceremony, which begins at 8:30 p.m. EST, stands at the centre of a swirling storm over diversity in the movies and at the Oscars. Protests are planned near the red carpet and some viewers are organizing a boycott of the broadcast.

The Academy Awards, normally decorous and predictable, are this year charged with enough politics and uncertainty to rival an election debate.

Best picture is considered up for grabs, with "The Revenant," ''The Big Short" and "Spotlight" in the mix.

News from © The Associated Press, 2016