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Ben Affleck’s Iran rescue thriller “Argo” has won best picture from the Academy Awards.
It’s the first best picture winner not to be nominated for best director since 1989′s “Driving Miss Daisy.” But despite the omission of Affleck – or perhaps buoyed by it – “Argo” emerged as the Oscar favorite, winning top honors from the directors, producers, screen actors and writers guilds.
From the White House, first lady Michelle Obama joined Jack Nicholson to help present the final prize.
“There are eight great films that have every right, as much a right to be up here as we do” – Affleck said of the other best-picture nominees.
In share-the-wealth mode, Oscar voters spread Sunday’s honors among a range of films, with “Argo” winning three trophies but “Life of Pi” leading with four.

Oscars 2013.

For the second straight year, the movie business fell for itself.
“Argo” (in which a Hollywood producer and makeup artist help engineer the rescue of six Americans from Iran) won the top prize at the 85th Academy Awards, one year after the silent film story “The Artist” took the best picture Oscar.
“I never thought I’d be back here. And I am” – producer-director Ben Affleck said in accepting the best picture trophy Sunday night, 15 years after he won an original screenplay Oscar for “Good Will Hunting” and then saw his career fall into a tailspin that included “Gigli” and “Daredevil.”
“It doesn’t matter how you get knocked down in life. That’s going to happen” – said Affleck, who wasn’t nominated for directing “Argo,” one of nine films in the best picture race. “All that matters is that you’ve got to get up.”
“Argo,” which became the first movie to win best picture without its director being nominated since 1989′s “Driving Miss Daisy,” collected two other Academy Awards, for editing and adapted screenplay. But it was not the evening’s most recognized film: That honor went to Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi,” which won four Oscars — for directing, visual effects, cinematography and score.
“Thank you, movie god” – said Lee, whose movie came into the evening with 11 nominations, one behind Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln.” The film about the 16th president helped Daniel Day-Lewis make movie history, as he became the only man to ever win three lead actor statuettes. “Lincoln” won one other prize, for production design.
The song-and-dance heavy ceremony, hosted by Seth MacFarlane, hewed closely to a traditional awards show script, but there were several surprises. First Lady Michelle Obama, who joined the ABC telecast from the White House, announced “Argo” as the best picture. And the ceremony featured only the sixth tie in Oscar history and the first since 1994, with the sound editing award split between “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Skyfall.” For the first time in Oscar history, six best picture nominees were $100-million blockbusters.

Here is the list of winners from the 85th Academy Awards, announced Sunday in a ceremony broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Best Picture – “Argo.”
Actor – Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln.”
Actress – Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook.”
Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained.”
Supporting Actress – Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables.”
Directing – Ang Lee, “Life of Pi.”
Foreign Language Film – “Amour.”
Adapted Screenplay – Chris Terrio, “Argo.”
Original Screenplay – Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained.”
Animated Feature Film – “Brave.”
Production Design – “Lincoln.”
Cinematography – “Life of Pi.”
Sound Mixing – “Les Miserables.”
Sound Editing (tie) – “Skyfall” and “Zero Dark Thirty.”
Original Score – “Life of Pi,” Mychael Danna.
Original Song – “Skyfall” from “Skyfall,” Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth.
Costume – “Anna Karenina.”
Documentary Feature – “Searching for Sugar Man.”
Documentary (Short Subject) – “Inocente.”
Film Editing – “Argo.”
Makeup and Hairstyling – “Les Miserables.”
Animated Short Film – “Paperman.”
Live Action Short Film – “Curfew.”
Visual Effects – “Life of Pi.”