'Aviator' lands first Oscar of night

The Aviator has picked up the first Oscar of the evening - achievement in art direction.

"Thank you for this great honour," said the movie's art director Dante Ferretti as he collected the award. "Thank you to the academy but first to Martin Scorsese - a great, great, great director whom we love very much. Thank you to all the producers and the entire art department who, without them, it would be impossible for me to do this."

The biopic beat off competition from Finding Neverland, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Phantom of the Opera and A Very Long Engagement in the category.