A HISTORIC SWEEP! BLACK ACTORS TAKE HOME HOLLYWOOD'S TO PRIZES.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Writer

Halle Berry became the first African-American actress to win an Oscar in a lead role and Denzel Washington became the second black to win best actor in a precedent-shattering 74th edition of the Academy Awards held Sunday for the first time at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

The best picture award went to ``A Beautiful Mind,'' which also won honors for director Ron Howard, supporting actress Jennifer Connelly and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman.

But the evening belonged to Berry and Washington who joined Sidney Poitier as the only blacks to win Oscars for lead performances. Poitier, who won best actor for 1963's ``Lilies of the Field,'' was on hand to see history made as he received a lifetime achievement award earlier in the night.

``Two birds in one night,'' joked Washington, who won his Oscar for playing a corrupt Los Angeles Police Department cop in ``Training Day.''

``Forty years I've been chasing Sidney. They finally give it to me, and they give it to him the same night.''

Berry won for her portrayal of the emotionally vulnerable death-row widow in the low-budget, art-house feature ``Monster's Ball.'' The 33- year-old actress seemed stricken when her name was announced and was unable to stop sobbing during her three-minute acceptance speech.

``Oh, my God,'' Berry said, gasping between words. ``I'm sorry. This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It's for every nameless, faceless woman of color who now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.''

Coming as they did after Berry and Washington's dramatic wins, the awards for best picture and director seemed almost anti-climactic. But then, since the ceremony ran a record 4 hours and 21 minutes, viewers could be excused for feeling a little weary by evening's end.

Howard won on his first nomination, and warmly thanked his father, Rance, and late mother, Jean, noting that his mom had predicted before she died that he would win an Oscar for ``A Beautiful Mind.''

``Of course, she said that for every movie I've directed since 1983,'' he added with a smile.

Academy voters, like the Golden Globes electors before them, had a soft spot for supporting spouses, giving Oscars to Connelly and Jim Broadbent.

Connelly's supporting actress win was the evening's sure bet. The 31- year-old actress had taken home several other prizes leading up to the Oscars for her portrayal of Alicia Nash, the loyal wife of schizophrenic math genius John Nash in ``A Beautiful Mind.''

From the stage, Connelly thanked Alicia Nash for her inspiring life.

``I believe in love, that there's nothing more important,'' Connelly said, nervously reading her speech. ``Alicia Nash is a true champion of love, and so thank you to her for her example.''

Broadbent's supporting actor win for ``Iris'' provided a mild upset. The 52-year-old Brit played writer John Bayley, the loving husband of Alzheimer's-afflicted writer Iris Murdoch in ``Iris.'' Broadbent also had a supporting turn in the Oscar-nominated ``Moulin Rouge, and he wished that film ``good luck'' from the stage.

Broadbent also thanked Bayley, who ``allowed us to plunder and I'm sure misrepresent his life with Iris.''

DreamWorks' ``Shrek'' won the first-ever Oscar for feature film, besting Disney's ``Monsters, Inc.'' and long-shot ``Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' in the category.

``Monsters, Inc.'' did win one Oscar, and it was one of the night's most popular choices. After 16 nominations, composer Randy Newman finally won his first Oscar for ``If I Didn't Have You,'' his original song for the movie.

``I don't want your pity,'' Newman joked. ``I want to thank first of all the music branch for giving me so many chances to be humiliated over the years.''

Newman finished his short speech, simply stating, ``I'm thrilled,'' while choking back tears.

Poitier's honorary Oscar for career achievement was one of the evening's high points. The 75-year-old actor gave a gracious and dignified speech, thanking those who gave him a chance.

``I arrived in Hollywood at the age of 22 at a time that was different than today's,'' Poitier said. ``Back then, no route had been established for where I was hoping to go, no pathway left in evidence for me to trace, no custom for me to follow.

``Yet here I am this evening at the end of a journey that in 1949 would have been considered almost impossible, and in fact might never have been set in motion were there not an untold number of courageous, unselfish choices made by a handful of visionary American filmmakers, directors, writers and producers, each with a strong sense of citizenship.''

Robert Redford also received a lifetime achievement award during the ceremony, and director Arthur Hiller was given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

The night's lesser-known categories were fairly evenly split between three films. ``Moulin Rouge's'' Catherine Martin, wife of the film's director Baz Luhrmann, took Oscars for costumes and art direction. ``Black Hawk Down'' won for sound and editing.

``The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' won awards for cinematography, score, visual effects and makeup, but was shut out in the other nine categories for which it was nominated. The movie's producers will have to content themselves with the near $1 billion the film has grossed.

The Bosnian anti-war movie ``No Man's Land'' won foreign-language film honors, triumphing over the French art-house sensation ``Amelie.''

The evening's biggest surprise came with the following words: ``Ladies and gentlemen, Woody Allen.'' Allen, who has never attended the Oscars despite 20 nominations and three awards, came to introduce a tribute to movies shot in New York City. Allen, 66, was given a standing ovation, an act he said ``made up for the strip search.''

Security was indeed strict. Host Whoopi Goldberg said measures were ``tighter than some of the faces'' in the audience. Fans were not allowed to camp overnight for coveted spots in the bleachers outside the theater. The lucky few who gained access were issued photo ID cards so they could see and scream for their favorite stars.

This year's ceremony was the first held in Hollywood in 42 years; the Kodak Theatre is just across Hollywood Boulevard from the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel where the first Oscars were presented in 1929.

The coronation of the 3,100-seat Kodak brought out more than the usual number of Hollywood luminaries. An unshaven Tom Cruise kicked off the show with a slightly surreal, self-congratulatory speech about the magic of movies. Referring to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Cruise pondered whether an awards show still had meaning.

``What about a night like tonight?'' Cruise asked. ``Should we celebrate the joy and magic movies bring? Dare I say it, more than ever. A small scene, a gesture, even a glance between characters can cross lines, break through barriers, melt prejudice or just plain make us laugh.''

CAPTION(S):

10 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) An emotional Halle Berry accepts her Oscar for ``Monster's Ball,'' while best actor Denzel Washington accepts his Oscar for ``Training Day,''

(3) Paul McCartney, whose original song from ``Vanilla Sky'' was nominated for an Oscar, performs for the academy audience.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

(4) Two SWAT team members with the Los Angeles Police Department help protect the awards ceremony from a rooftop across the street from the Kodak Theatre on Sunday.

Ric Francis/Associated Press

(5 -- color) SIDNEY POITIER

Famed actor receives lifetime achievement award.

(6 -- color) JENNIFER CONNELLY

Supporting actress, ``A Beautiful Mind.''

(7 -- color) JIM BROADBENT

Supporting actor, ``Iris.''

(8 -- color) RON HOWARD

Best director, ``A Beautiful Mind,'' which won best picture.

(9 -- color) The Academy Awards comes to Hollywood for the first time in 42 years.

(10 -- color) Be it Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet, or Faith Hill, left, Tinseltown's glamour queens turned heads walking up the red carpet.