Penelope Cruz Wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz Wins the 2009 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Woody Allen's Vicki Christina Barcelona.

Penélope Cruz burst onto the scene in her native Spain in the early 1990s and quickly established herself as a talent to be reckoned with in any language. A longtime critical darling on the international film circuit, Cruz was a favorite creative muse of famed Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar. But it was after she crossed the Atlantic that Cruz truly became a global superstar. She has been seen in the films Vanilla Sky, All About My Mother among many others and will be seen in the upcoming movie adaption of the musical "NINE".

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards - in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners - the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.