Mark Rylance, Alicia Vikander, ‘Mad Max’ are early Oscar winners

LOS ANGELES Suspense and surprises mark the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday after a rollercoaster awards season dominated by the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and no clear front-runner for the top honor of best picture. “You’d be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now”.

He beat the presumed frontrunner Sylvester Stallone, who was nominated for his performance in the boxing movie Creed. “It’s a matter of audiences not just going out for the safe bet, but taking a chance on unusual films that tell stories about issues or people who are the minority in society”.

Swedish actress Alicia Vikander won the supporting actress Oscar for transgender movie The Danish Girl, and coming-of-age film Inside Out won the best animated feature statuette. “I hope that this awareness that’s been raised – very humorously by Chris tonight and angrily by other people, understandably – I hope that it’s going to create a lot more diversity”.

“I know we’re going to make this change”, he said on the red carpet.

Lou Gossett Jr., an Oscar victor for “An Officer and a Gentleman”, said on the red carpet that often Hollywood is ahead of society, but in the case of diversity, “society is ahead of us”.

Some celebrities were attending an event in Flint, Michigan, #JusticeForFlint.

Rock also had some more lighthearted material, including a bit in which he brought out his daughter to sell Girl Scout cookies.

Rock, the outspoken black comedian chosen to host Hollywood’s biggest night months before the selection of an all-white acting nominee line-up for a second year, welcomed viewers to what he called “the white People’s Choice awards”.

With a leading 12 nominations, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, 20th Century Fox’s “The Revenant” with its ambitious tale shot in sub-zero temperatures has the epic qualities that traditionally appeal to the 6,200 voters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Leonardo DiCaprio, who’s 0-fer as an acting nominee, is expected to finally take home a trophy for his performance in that film, in which he played an 1820s trapper, Hugh Glass.

The Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay went to The Big Short, while the prize for Best Visual Effects was given to Ex Machina, a film that co-starred Vikander.

This Oscars nomination and win marks Rylance’s first.

“I think Chris Rock will address it head on, which is exactly what the show and the Academy needs”, said Variety awards editor Tim Gray. “It’s a wonderful time to be an actor and I’m proud to be part of it”.

The 88th Academy Awards are airing from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.