AceShowbiz - Ariana DeBose has won her first Oscar. The Anita of Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" picked up the award for Best Supporting Actress, edging out other strong contenders namely Jessie Buckley ("The Lost Daughter"), Judi Dench ("Belfast"), Kirsten Dunst ("The Power of the Dog") and Aunjanue Ellis ("King Richard").

When receiving the award, the openly queer star used the spotlight to inspire others to chase their dreams, regardless of how they identify themselves. "Dreams do come true," she said in her acceptance speech.

The 31-year-old actress identified herself as "an openly queer woman of color, an Afro-Latina, who found her strength in life through art" in her speech. She added, "That's what I believe we're here to celebrate."

"To anybody who has ever questioned your identity - ever ever ever or you find yourself living in the gray spaces…," the former "So You Think You Can Dance" contestant continued, "I promise you this. There is indeed a place for us."

Meanwhile, "Dune" has bagged more awards during the live telecast. After winning four awards during off-air parts of the show, the Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi film nabbed Best Cinematography for Greif Fraser and Best Visual Effects for Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer.

The movie earlier picked up awards for Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound and Best Production Design. While fans couldn't argue that it deserved the prizes, many were upset that the awards were handed out before the live ceremony kicked off, sparking a lot of criticism online despite the Academy's explanation of the change of the show's format.

The 94th annual Academy Awards is currently airing live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes serve as the hosts.