Sarah Jessica Parker, known for making fashion statements, wore a light green strapless gown by Dior Couture with gold waves decorating the bodice.
Best actress nominee Angelina Jolie added a spot of colour to her black gown with green drop earrings. She turned up with the ultimate accessory - boyfriend Brad Pitt.
Penelope Cruz took the prize for best supporting actress. She sparkled on the red carpet in a ruched white couture embellished with stones.
Singer and actress Miley Cyrus was one of the first celebrities to arrive on the red carpet. She said the gown she chose was the first one she tried on.
Here are the winners, as they are announced, at the 81st Academy Awards, which are being held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on 22 February.
Best supporting actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona Also nominated: Amy Adams - Doubt; Viola Davis - Doubt; Taraji P Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Best original screenplay: Milk Also nominated: Happy-Go-Lucky; Wall-E; In Bruges; Frozen River
Best adapted screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Doubt; Frost/Nixon; The Reader
Best animated feature film: Wall-E Also nominated: Bolt; Kung Fu Panda
Best animated short film: La Maison en Petits Cubes Also nominated: Lavatory - Lovestory; Oktapodi; Presto; This Way Up
Art direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Also nominated: Changeling; The Dark Knight; The Duchess; Revolutionary Road
Costume design: The Duchess Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Australia; Milk; Revolutionary Road
Make-up: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Also nominated: The Dark Knight; Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Changeling; The Dark Knight; The Reader
Best live action short film: Spielzeugland (Toyland) Also nominated: Auf der Strecke (On The Line); Manon on the Asphalt; New Boy; The Pig
Best supporting actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight Also nominated: Josh Brolin - Milk; Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder; Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt; Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road
Best documentary feature: Man on Wire Also nominated: The Betrayal; Encounters at the End of the World; The Garden; Trouble The Water
Best documentary short subject: Smile Pinki Also nominated: The Conscience of Nhem En; The Final Inch; The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306
Visual effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Also nominated: The Dark Knight; Iron Man
Sound editing: The Dark Knight Also nominated: Iron Man; Wanted; Slumdog Millionaire; Wall-E
Sound mixing: Slumdog Millionaire Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; The Dark Knight; Wanted; Wall-E
Film editing:Slumdog Millionaire Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; The Dark Knight; Frost/Nixon; Milk
Best original score: Slumdog Millionaire Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Defiance; Milk; Slumdog Millionaire; Wall-E
Best original song: Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire Also nominated: Down To Earth - Wall-E; O Saya - Slumdog Millionaire
Best foreign language film: Departures - Japan Also nominated: Revanche - Austria; The Class - France; The Baader Meinhof Complex - Germany; Waltz With Bashir - Israel
Best picture The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Frost/Nixon Milk The Reader Slumdog Millionaire
Best director Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire Stephen Daldry - The Reader David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon Gus Van Sant - Milk
Best actor Richard Jenkins - The Visitor Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon Sean Penn - Milk Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Best actress Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married Angelina Jolie - Changeling Melissa Leo - Frozen River Meryl Streep - Doubt Kate Winslet - The Reader
Best actress nominee Angelina Jolie added a spot of colour to her black gown with green drop earrings. She turned up with the ultimate accessory - boyfriend Brad Pitt.
Singer and actress Miley Cyrus was one of the first celebrities to arrive on the red carpet. She said the gown she chose was the first one she tried on.
