12 Years a Slave Wins Best Picture at Academy Awards

12 years a Slave is this year's Best Picture. The moving drama, directed by Steve McQueen and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, won the top honor at the Academy Awards on Sunday evening, capping off an awards season filled with accolades.

"Everyone deserves not just to survive, but to live," McQueen said in his speech after accepting the award from presenter Will Smith. "This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup. I dedicate this award to all of the people who have endured slavery and the 21 million people who still suffer slavery today."

Lupita Nyong'o, who co-starred as the slave Patsey in the film, also won Best Supporting Actress, while the film's writer John Ridley took home the prize for Best Adapted Screenplay.

McQueen, who was up for an historic win in the Best Director category, ended up losing the award to Gravity's Alfonso Cuaròn. Nonetheless, 12 Years a Slave made history — it's the first film with a predominately Black cast to win Best Picture.

Other notable wins included Jared Leto for Best Supporting Actor and Matthew McConaughey for Best Actor in Dallas Buyer's Club, and Cate Blanchett for Best Actress in Blue Jasmine. 20 Feet From Stardom won Best Documentary Feature, with the film's subject Darlene Love on hand to accept the award along with the filmmakers. Love thrilled the star-studded crowd with by singing a few bars a capella during her acceptance speech. Plus, the show featured excellent performances from Bette Midler, P!nk and Pharrell Williams.

Williams, who was up for Best Original Song for his infectious hit "Happy," ultimately lost the award to Frozen's "Let It Go."

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OSCARS 2014... Full list of winners

Oscars 2014: '12 Years a Slave' Nabs Best Picture, Other Oscar Wins

ABCNews.com

List of winners at Sunday's 86th annual Academy Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Best Picture: "12 Years a Slave."
Actor: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club."
Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine."
Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club."
Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave."
Directing: Alfonso Cuaron, "Gravity."
Foreign Language Film: "The Great Beauty," Italy.
Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, "12 Years a Slave."
Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, "Her."
Animated Feature Film: "Frozen."
Production Design: "The Great Gatsby."
Cinematography: "Gravity."
Sound Mixing: "Gravity."
Sound Editing: "Gravity."
Original Score: "Gravity," Steven Price.
Original Song: "Let It Go" from "Frozen."
Costume: "The Great Gatsby."
Makeup and Hairstyling: "Dallas Buyers Club."
Animated Short Film: "Mr. Hublot."
Documentary Feature: "20 Feet from Stardom."
Documentary (short subject): "The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life."
Film Editing: "Gravity."
Live Action Short Film: "Helium."
Visual Effects: "Gravity."
———
Honorary Oscars:
— Peter W. Anderson.
— Film-processing labs over past century.
— Angelina Jolie.
— Angela Lansbury.
— Steve Martin.
— Piero Tosi.

HOT PHOTOS: OSCARS 2014...Red Carpet Arrivals

The long awaited 86th Academy Awards Ceremony has finally just begun at the Dolby theatre. Take a look at some of the red carpet arrivals and see what your favourite stars are wearing. Guests are still arriving so stay with us for more updates...

Ronaldo's girlfriend, Irina Shayk and R.Kelly in steamy shoot for V Magazine

The 47-year-old R&B crooner can be seen in the latest issue of V Magazinestriking a pose with the beautiful Russian model for a photoshoot to promote 'Trapped In The Closet'

Steamy shoot: R. Kelly, 47, could be seen in the latest issue of V Magazine with 28-year-old model Irina Shayk

The pictorial appeared hot and heavy as Shayk, 28, posed draped all over the Ignition singer, including one snap where she was completely disrobed with her back to the camera.

He told V Magazine: 'When I first started writing Trapped In The Closet, I didn't know myself what it was. I had one chapter and I had no hook. It never turned into a song, it was a cliff-hanger and one chapter led to another, and next thing you know I have all these chapters and now I have a leash on it.

'I have 57 more chapters that I haven't released yet that are going to be released. This thing is forever.'

For fans of the musician, the sexual nature of the photo set should come as no surprise as his lyrics and live performances have never been subtle.

The Bump & Grind singer said: 'I do what I have to do to excite the crowd. I do whatever it takes to raise eyebrows and to win.'

Irina, who is Cristiano Ronaldo's partner is just doing her job as a model and don't start getting any ideas!

China: Kunming train station knife attack leaves 29 dead and more than 100 injured

A knife-wielding gang slaughtered at least 29 people and injured more than 100 at a railway station in China.

The group of men stormed Kunming Station attacking passengers and staff.

Several of the killers were reported to have been shot by police.

Horrific pictures of dead bodies and scattered luggage in pools of blood started have been shared online.

The mass stabbing, which left at least 113 people injured, is one of the most grisly in China in recent years.

The state-run Yunnan News said the men were wearing uniforms and gunshots were heard after police arrived at the scene.

Local TV station K6 reported that several knifemen had been shot and victims had been taken to local hospitals after the “violent terror attack”.

The shocking scenes left passers-by in tears as police cleared the area amid fears knifemen were still in the area.

There was no information about who was responsible or their motives for the massacre, in Yunnan province, south-west China.

State TV said on its official microblog that China’s domestic security chief, Meng Jianzhu, was on his way to the station.

Mass stabbings are quite common in China but none have been reported recently on this scale and with this many fatalities.

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