Many who had predicted this outcome said it was a backhanded way of recognising the long and varied career of Australian director George Miller, 70, who helmed all four Mad Max movies, as well as crowd-pleasers such as Babe: Pig In The City (1998) and the Happy Feet animated films (2006, 2011).

But another industry stalwart with a long career, riding on a wave of sentiment after a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe win, saw victory snatched away from him.

Sylvester Stallone, 69, emerged as the one to beat in recent weeks for coming back as his beloved Rocky Balboa character in Creed.

But it was the relatively unknown British actor Mark Rylance, 56, who won the statuette for his portrayal of communist spy Rudolf Abel, in the Steven Spielberg-directed thriller Bridge Of Spies.

What happened? One theory is that academy members eligible to vote in the acting categories must be themselves actors and so prefer to reward a person they admire, rather than vote for a single performance.

Thus the supporting actor category is known for rewarding actor's actors - see J.K. Simmons' win for Whiplash (2014).

The highly esteemed Rylance fits the bill; the other nominees - Christian Bale, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hardy and, yes, even Stallone himself - are leading men who can sell tickets on star power.

As had been predicted, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu won Best Director for the western The Revenant, making him the first helmer in decades to win that accolade in two consecutive years.

Last year, he clinched it for the drama Birdman (2014).

And in another unusual occurrence, the Mexican film-maker's project failed to win Best Picture, a prize which tends to go hand in hand with Best Director.

Birdman nabbed both, as did The Artist (2010), The King's Speech (2009) and The Hurt Locker (2008).

The winner of Best Picture prize, Spotlight, came with its own oddities. The movie, about the exploits of Boston Globe reporters exposing systematic child sexual abuse by Catholic priests, is the most low-key Best Picture winner in a long time.

With its two modest wins - for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay - it is the least awards-bedecked of recent Best Picture winners, which tend to clean up.

Birdman, for example, won four Oscars; 12 Years A Slave (2013) three; Argo (2012) three; The Artist five; The King's Speech four; The Hurt Locker six; Slumdog Millionaire (2008) eight; and No Country For Old Men(2007) four.

This has been the most fragmented and socially divisive Oscars in recent memory.

In the next few years, when new rules aimed at breaking the power bloc of older white men in the academy's 7,000 voters take hold, things might become even more unpredictable.

Hits and misses on the red carpet

BEST- DRESSED

Olivia Munn: Despite not being up for any awards, the pretty 35-year-old actress wowed in a bright orange gown by Stella McCartney which matched her lipstick. A simple silver cuff and earrings completed the look.

Alicia Vikander: The 27-year-old Swedish beauty, who won Best Supporting Actress for The Danish Girl, was a breath of fresh air in a yellow Louis Vuitton gown. The silver embellishments and bubble hem added an interesting and youthful vibe.

Sylvester Stallone: The 69-year-old, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Creed, but lost to Mark Rylance, looked dashing in a black and blue tuxedo. He was accompanied by his wife Jennifer Flavin, who wore a simple black slip dress. This was a rare instance where a husband outshone his wife.

Lady Gaga: The 29-year-old singer-actress' outfit may not be as outlandish as her previous costumes (remember the infamous meat dress), but she was still a showstopper in a custom-made structural white jumpsuit with a matching train by long-time friend and former stylist Brandon Maxwell.

Brie Larson: Despite being "incredibly jetlagged" after getting off a plane from Vietnam, the 26-year-old looked radiant in a cobalt blue gown with vertical ruffles on the skirt. She won Best Actress for playing a kidnapped mother in Room.

Cate Blanchett: The 46-year-old seven-time Academy Awards nominee never fails to impress on the red carpet. She cut a fine figure in her Armani Prive seafoam gown embellished with matching flowers, the colour of which complemented her blonde hair. She was nominated for Best Actress for Carol, but did not win.

Saoirse Ronan: The 21-year-old actress looked grown-up in a custom sequin dress with a plunging neckline by Calvin Klein, paying homage to her Irish heritage with the dark green colour. She was nominated for Best Actress for Brooklyn, but lost to Brie Larson.

Tina Fey: The 45-year-old comedienne and actress should stop making self-deprecating jokes about her looks. The deep-blue bustier dress showed off her trim figure, and her updo and matching necklace completed her elegant look.

WORST- DRESSED

Kate Winslet: The black Ralph Lauren gown looked like an expensive garbage bag.

The 40-year-old actress was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Steve Jobs, but lost to Alicia Vikander.

Heidi Klum: The 42-year-old model's dress tried to be too many things at once, with the fluffiness of the tulle gown, the long shapeless sleeve, the corsage-like flowers at the shoulder and waist and the peekaboo detail at the bust. She should fire her stylist, if she has one.

Kevin Hart: There is only one word to describe the bedazzled suit of the 36-year-old: No.