The 82nd Academy Awards, hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, honored the cinematic achievements of 2009 on March 7, 2010, at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony was the most-watched telecast since 2005, drawing nearly 42 million U.S. viewers. To avoid clashing with the Winter Olympics, the event increased the number of "Best Picture" nominees to ten.

The awards saw "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" leading with nine nominations each, with "Up" being the only second animated film nominated for "Best Picture"; however, "The Hurt Locker", which won six awards, was the winner. Sandra Bullock won "Best Actress" for "The Blind Side." "Best Director" went to Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win in this category. Geoffrey Fletcher was the first African American to win for "Best Screenwriting."