Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner at the 81st Academy Awards, scooping the best picture and director awards in an emotionally charged night that also saw the late Heath Ledger honoured for his performance in The Dark Knight.

With the show’s producers shaking up the format to arrest a slide in television ratings, Kate Winslet won best actress for her performance in The Reader while there was an upset in the best actor category when Sean Penn triumphed for his role as the gay rights activist Harvey Milk.