2009 Oscars: Kate Winslet and Sean Penn Pick Up Best Actress and Actor

Kate Winslet has won her first Academy Award in years. Collecting six Oscars nominations throughout her career, she has finally been hailed as Best Actress at the 81st Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, February 22, for her performance as a German woman with a dark past, Hanna, in "The Reader".

Upon receiving the statuette from past winners, Shirley MacLaine, Marion Cotillard, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman and Sophia Loren, the 33-year-old, who got the standing ovation, joked at her acceptance speech, saying "OK, that fainting thing Penelope." She then recalled how she has been making this speech since she was 8 years old with her dad watching and whistling so that she can wave to him and shout "I love you."

The actress who has won two Golden Globes this year also revealed that she dedicated the award to the late Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack. In addition, she also gave a shoutout to fellow nominees. "I think none of us could believe we were in the same category as Meryl Streep. And I'm sorry Meryl but you're just gonna have to suck that up," she said.

Meanwhile, Sean Penn has been hailed to be this year's Best Actor for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America, in "Milk". Accepting his Oscar from Adrien Brody, Michael Douglas, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley, and Robert De Niro, he opened his speech with jokes, saying that he knows "how hard I make it for you to appreciate me."