The fantastical romance The Shape of Water triumphed at the 90th annual Academy Awards on Sunday in Hollywood, with the Canadian-shot film winning four Oscars including best picture.

"Growing up in Mexico as a kid, I was a big admirer of foreign films... I thought this could never happen. It happens," director Guillermo del Toro said onstage after double-checking the envelope handed to him by presenter Warren Beatty.

Beatty and Faye Dunaway returned to the Academy Awards stage for a second attempt at presenting the final award following last year's epic mix-up dubbed "Envelopegate."

Along with best picture, The Shape of Water also garnered best director for del Toro, best original score and best production design.

Overall, the awards were largely an earnest affair, with the usual glitz and glamour sharing the spotlight with sober discussion about gender parity, diversity and the changes the #MeToo and Time's Up movements are making in Hollywood.

The acting prizes played out as expected with four performers recognized throughout the season crowned Oscar-winners.

Frances McDormand added Oscar best actress trophy to her many accolades for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. After starting with more traditional thanks during her acceptance speech, she then asked all of the night's female Oscar nominees to stand up in the auditorium.

Best actress winner Frances McDormand, onstage centre, called on all female Oscar nominees in the auditorium to stand up to be acknowledged. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

"Look around everybody, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need to have financed," she declared, urging producers and executives to move beyond post-Oscars party chatter and schedule actual meetings with everyone standing later this week.

McDormand concluded with a call for greater diversity in the industry: "I have two words to leave you with today: inclusion rider."

1/2 Best actress winner Frances Mcdormand described <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/inclusionrider?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#inclusionrider</a> backstage: "There has always been available to everybody that does a negotiation on a film an inclusion rider which means you can ask or demand at least 50 per cent diversity in casting and crew." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars90?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars90</a> —@ZulekhaNathoo 2/2 Frances McDormand continued: "The whole idea of women trending? No... It changes now. And I think the Inclusion Rider will have something to do with that. She also said she only heard about an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/inclusionrider?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#inclusionrider</a> last week, after 35 years in the biz. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/backstage?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#backstage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars90?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars90</a> —@ZulekhaNathoo

Gary Oldman's turn as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour scored the U.S.-based Brit the best actor award. The film also won the makeup and hairstyling category.

Sam Rockwell, who portrayed a racist sheriff's deputy in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Allison Janney, who played Tonya Harding's abusive mother in I, Tonya, won for supporting actor and supporting actress, respectively.

Jordan Peele won best original screenplay for Get Out. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

The awards were largely spread out across many films.

Jordan Peele made history with his blockbuster horror-satire Get Out, with the comedy star-turned-filmmaker now the first black person to win a best original screenplay Oscar.

"I stopped writing this movie about 20 times because I thought it was impossible.… I didn't think anyone would let me make this movie," he said onstage.

"To everybody who went and saw this movie, who bought a ticket, who told somebody to buy a ticket: thank you, I love you."

Christopher Nolan's Second World War epic Dunkirk was recognized with three awards for its technical achievements.

Canadians win

The Shape of Water production designers Jeff Melvin, left, Paul Austerberry, centre, and Shane Vieau accept the best production design Oscar on Sunday. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Canadians also picked up trophies Sunday night. "Thanks to all the Canadian crew who are partying right now at the Palais Royale in Toronto — this is for you," declared The Shape of Water's Paul Austerberry, who shared the best production design win with Jeff Melvin and Shane Vieau. Guillermo del Toro and Cdn producer J. Miles Dale answer CBC's Q about Shape being a victory for Hollywood North. Dale: "We're very proud of the Cdn talent. ... We were committed to using those people all across the board on the film and it's a great moment for Cdn filmmaking." —@eltee Blade Runner 2049, directed by Montreal filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, earned a pair of Academy Awards. Richard Hoover of Framestore in Montreal was among those onstage sharing in the futuristic sequel's Oscar win for visual effects, while often-nominated U.K. cinematographer Roger Deakins finally won for his work on the movie.

Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel played it largely safe and earnest in his opening monologue, poking fun at disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein, and frequent Hollywood targets like Mel Gibson, U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Jimmy Kimmel, hosting for a second consecutive year, played it largely safe and earnest.

From his opening monologue onward, he walked a delicate line between the show's usual celebratory atmosphere and the issues being debated throughout the entertainment industry, from gender equality to the onslaught of sexual harassment and assault allegations that have emerged in Hollywood and beyond.

Kimmel said the show would be "a night for positivity" but also discussed Hollywood's need to reform itself.

"We can't let bad behaviour slide anymore," he said. "The world is watching us."

Jane Fonda, wearing a Time's Up pin, waves to the crowd outside the 90th Academy Awards in Hollywood. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Politics onstage and on the red carpet

The evening was peppered with messages and speeches that referenced topical social issues and politics, from immigrants and the so-called Dreamers — immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children who remain at risk for deportation — to the Time's Up initiative and gender parity to the Parkland shooting.

"The biggest thank you of all to the people of Mexico," Coco director Lee Unkrich said to loud applause after the bright and musical Pixar blockbuster won best animated film.

"Marginalized people deserve to feel like they belong," he said. "Representation matters."

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Earlier, on the red carpet, famous faces showed their support to a variety of causes, with pins supporting Time's Up and immigrants seen on lapels and gowns.

Many were also watching to see if celebrities would bypass E! host Ryan Seacrest, who faces sexual harassment allegations by his former stylist, Suzie Hardy. Seacrest, who has denied the allegations, seemed to operate as usual, talking to a range of stars.

Winning an Oscar has a lot of money at stake, and most of that prize isn't in the statue itself. 3:08

Winners of the 90th Academy Awards