A DREAM DAY FIRST-TIMERS COLLECT TOP FIVE AWARDS.

Byline: Evan Henerson

Staff Writer

Oscar showed it loves a Cinderella story. Five times over, in fact.

The most watched categories in the Academy Awards -- best actor, actress, supporting actor and actress and director -- all went to first-time winners Sunday.

Director Martin Scorsese seemed both surprised and relieved at hearing his name read for "The Departed," an award presented by Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas.

"Could you double-check the envelope?" he said. Scorsese had been nominated six times for directing, most recently for "The Aviator," and twice for screenplays.

Of the many awards Helen Mirren has accepted for "The Queen," taking the golden boy for best actress tops them all.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the queen," she said, saluting Elizabeth II, holding her statuette high and smiling.

Forest Whitaker added the best actor Academy Award to a slew of honors for his performance as Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland."

"It's an amazing statement on what's going on," Whitaker said back stage about the diversity of the winners. "I think we have to be connected as a planet. When you see this year, you see people from all over the world. ... Stories reflect the diversity of humanity, and right now we need that."

Jennifer Hudson was among the few surprised to hear her name announced as supporting actress honoree for "Dreamgirls," her first Academy Award nomination and a tremendous comeback from her also-ran finish on the third season of "American Idol."

The young woman who was so self-assured as Effie White quivered and appeared teary on stage. "I have to just take this moment in. I cannot believe this. Look what God can do."

Back stage, she acknowledged the win adds pressure to succeed. "I cannot express in words how much this means."

Screen veteran Alan Arkin won his first statuette as best supporting actor in "Little Miss Sunshine," trumping Eddie Murphy, Djimon Honsou, Jackie Earle Haley and Mark Wahlberg. Any of them would have been a first-time victor.

"I'd like to thank ... my wife, Suzanne, my sons, Adam, Matthew and Tony, for their endless support," he said, choking back tears. Arkin hadn't even attended the Academy Awards as a nominee since 1968, when he was up in the lead category for "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter."

Valerie Kuklenski contributed to this report.

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3 photos

Photo:

(1) Alan Arkin accepts the best supporting actor Oscar for "Little Miss Sunshine."

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

(2) Jennifer Hudson wins best supporting actress for her role in "Dreamgirls."

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

(3) Actor Forest Whitaker accepts the Oscar for best actor for his work as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland."

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press