The 78th Academy Awards, held on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, was televised by ABC, produced by Gil Cates, and hosted by Jon Stewart.

Crash secured the "Best Picture" award. Ang Lee, awarded "Best Director" for Brokeback Mountain made history as the first non-Caucasian recipient in the category. Keira Knightley, at 20, earned distinction as the third youngest "Best Actress" nominee for her role in "Pride & Prejudice," following Quvenzhané Wallis,…