Broadway-Themed Birdman Takes Top Oscars Honor, With Theater Vets Eddie Redmayne and More Taking Home Awards

The 87th annual Academy Awards recognized many of the film industry's best and brightest for their work in the past year. The event, which was broadcast live on ABC beginning at 8:30pm, was hosted by Broadway favorite and seasoned awards emcee Neil Patrick Harris (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), and several Broadway veterans made their way to the stage to accept an award.

The night's big theater wins included Tony winner Eddie Redmayne (Red) taking home the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Redmayne beat out recent Broadway Elephant Man star Bradley Cooper for the honor. Another Broadway vet, Julianne Moore (who starred in the 2006 Broadway play The Vertical Hour) won the Oscar for Best Actress for Still Alice.

Other theater favorites who took home awards included J.K. Simmons (Laughter on the 23rd Floor), who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in Whiplash. Simmons was up against Tony nominees Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) and Ethan Hawke (Boyhood). Patricia Arquette won the Best Supporting Actress award, beating out Broadway veterans/soon-to-be stars including Cabaret's Emma Stone (Birdman); Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game), who is set to make her Broadway debut in Thérèse Raquin in October; and three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep, who earned her 19th nomination for her role as the Witch in Disney's Into the Woods. That adaptation of the Sondheim musical went home empty-handed.

The film that won biggest was Birdman, which follows a movie star who hopes to revive his career with a stint on the Great White Way. It won Best Picture and also snagged several other awards, including Best Original Screenplay as well as Best Director for Alejandro González Iñárritu and Best Cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki.

For a full list of 2015 Academy Award winners, click here.