Meryl Streep and The Artist Top 83rd Oscars

Actress Meryl Streep won Best Actress at the 83rd Academy Awards for her role as former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the film The Iron Lady, FOXNews.com reports.  She beat out actresses Viola Davis (The Help), Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) in the category. This is Meryl's third Oscar win after being nominated 17 times, 14 of which were for Best Actress.

She joins the ranks of stars like Jack Nicholson, Walter Brennan, and Ingrid Berman, who have also had three wins in the past. Actress Katharine Hepburn remains the only star with four wins. Meryl's nomination this year has also earned her the distinction of being the performer with the most Oscar nominations in history. 

Meanwhile French black-and-white film The Artist took home five awards, including distinctions for Best Picture and Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius. It is the first silent film to win Best Picture ever since World War I film Wings got the same award in the first ever Oscars in 1929, The Huffington Post reports. French actor Jean Dujardin, who snagged the award for Best Actor for his portrayal of George Valentine in the film, is also the first Frenchman to receive such a distinction.

Here is the complete list of winners from the official website for the Oscars:

Best Picture: The Artist

Actor in a Leading Role: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)

Actress in a Leading Role: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Actress in a Supporting Role: Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Animated Feature Film: Rango

Cinematography: Hugo

Art Direction: Hugo

Costume Design: The Artist

Directing: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

Documentary Feature: Undefeated

Documentary Short: Saving Face

Foreign-Language Film: A Separation (Iran)

Makeup: The Iron Lady

Film Editing: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Music (Original Score): Ludovic Bource (The Artist)

Music (Original Song): "Man or Muppet" (The Muppets), music and lyric by Bret McKenzie

Short Film (Animated): The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Short Film (Live Action): The Shore

Sound Editing: Hugo

Sound Mixing: Hugo

Visual Effects: Hugo

Writing (Original Screenplay): Midnight in Paris, written by Woody Allen

Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Descendants, screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon and Jim Rash


For more on the Oscars, check these out on FN:

• 10 Unforgettable Oscar Moments
• Natalie Portman, Colin Firth Snag Acting Awards at the Oscars + 8 Other Oscar Winners
  
• 3 Gods of Love: Fil-Am Producers Talk about Their Oscar-Winning Short Film
• 83rd Academy Awards: 20 Oscar Nominees for Best Acting Revealed

(Photo of Meryl Streep from The Iron Lady courtesy of Pathé; movie poster of The Artist courtesy of The Weinstein Compan)