The Academy Awards happened last night, and I expect you all know that, given that it gets a completely out-of-proportion level of coverage by the UK media. I mean, I know it's a big awards night, and everything, but I fail to see why it's so much more important than any other award ceremony. I suppose more of the world might be interested, but honestly, there's just too much chat, speculation and post-mortem on national news programmes that ought to be covering stories about war and politics.

Anyway, you have no doubt all heard the big news, which is that Kathryn Bigelow has made history by being the first woman ever to get the Best Director gong for her work on 'The Hurt Locker'. I think it's pretty shocking that a woman hasn't won it before, actually, and it really just demonstrates that women are still up against plenty of barriers, because it's certainly not that they don't have the necessary talent. Anyway, well done her.

'The Hurt Locker' also took Best Picture, and the film's Mark Boal got the award for Best Original Screenplay. It also triumphed in the film editing, sound mixing and sound editing categories. Main awards season rival Avatar, directed by Bigelow's ex-husband James Cameron, took the awards for cinematography, art direction and visual effects.

Bafta winning Brits Colin Firth ad Carey Mulligan failed to repeat their success at the Oscars, losing out to Best Actor Jeff Bridges, nominated for his role in 'Crazy Heart', and Sandra Bullock, who took the Best Actress gong for her performance in 'The Blind Side'. Which must take the sting a bit out of the Razzie she recently received (and, to be fair, turned up v. good humouredly to accept). 'Inglourious Basterds' star Christoph Waltz beat the likes of Matt Damon and Christopher Plummer to the Best Supporting Actor gong - no surprises there, as he's won it at pretty much every awards bash this season – whilst another hot favourite, US comedienne Mo'Nique, took the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her part in 'Precious'.

Elsewhere, Pixar's 'Up' won in the Best Animation Category, which doesn't surprise me, although I've not yet seen it. Sadly, Armando Iannucci et al failed to take Best Adapted Screenplay for 'In The Loop', but they were up against some fierce competiion from the likes of Nick Hornby ('An 'Education'), Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner ('Up In The Air') and the winner, of course, of that category, Geoffrey Fletcher, who adapted the screenplay for 'Precious'. In the music categories, Michael Giacchino got Best Original Score for 'Up', and Ryan Bungham and T Bone Burnett took the Best Original Song award for 'The Weary Kind', used in 'Crazy Heart'.

As usual, there was as much focus on the frocks as there was on the gongs. But I'm not going to comment on those, because I find all that a bit vacuous.