The Best Acceptance Speeches of the 79th Academy Awards

Host of this years 79th Annual Academy Awards, Ellen Degeneres opened the show with a hilarious monologue. She even played the tambourine and sang with a church choir, honoring the nominees in her very own, special way. But even Ellen could not predict the outcomes of the evening and the wonderful speeches that were to follow. Here are my top five picks for best speeches at this years Oscars.

5. Ari Sandel for his Life Action Short Film, West Bank Story. Ari had this to say: "I'd be remiss if I were to take this award and not thank my co-writer Kim Ray, my producers Pascal Vaguelsy, Amy Kim, Ashley Jordan, Ravi Malhotra and my composer Yuval Ron. And last but not least, the two people who never doubted me even when I doubted myself, my mother who's here in the audience, Kathy and my father Dan, who's watching. I love you. Thank you." Emotional and heartfelt as well as convicting, this speech really made an impact on the audience as well as myself.

4. Fo the Music (Song) category, "I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth. Music and Lyrics by Melissa Etheridge. Melissa had this to say: "Wow, that feels as good as you think it does. I have to thank my incredible wife Tammy and our four children, Beckett and Bailey and Johnnie Rose and Miller. And everyone I've ever worked with. But mostly, I have to thank Al Gore for inspiring us, inspiring me, showing that caring about the Earth is not Republican or Democrat. It's not red or blue, we are all green. This is our job. Now we can become the greatest generation, the generation that changed, the generation that woke up and did something and changed. I love you all. Thank you Academy, this is great. Thank you." Truly inspiring and motivating.