Jamie Foxx has done what many predicted he would do by winning the Academy Award as best actor for his celebrated performance as legendary soul singer Ray Charles in the biographical film "Ray". The Oscar victory, though widely expected, is likely to propel Foxx, 37, to the ranks of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars.

In a rare Oscar twist, Foxx also was nominated as best supporting actor for his role opposite Tom Cruise in "Collateral", becoming the first black to garner two Oscar bids in a single year. He now stands as only the third black to win the Oscar for best actor, following in the footsteps of Sidney Poitier for the 1963 film "Lilies of the Field" and Denzel Washington three years ago for "Training Day".

"Let’s live this African-American dream," a triumphant Foxx said after pumping the statuette in his hand. "Give it up for Ray Charles and his beautiful legacy." Foxx also paid tribute to Poitier by doing a brief impersonation of the celebrated actor he said once told him: "’I saw you once, and I looked in your eyes and there was a connection.’ And he says. ’I give to you responsibility’." He later added, "So, I’m taking that responsibility, tonight, Thank you, Sidney,"

Foxx arrived at the Oscars on Sunday as a front-runner for best actor, having won many of this season’s leading movie awards for his performance in "Ray," including a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and top honours from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the National Society of Film Critics.

At this point there is not much more to say that hasn't already been said so at this point I'll leave you with one of the best acceptance ever given at the Academy Awards...enjoy.

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

I guess we got to do it again. "Oh, Ah!" Yeah, you're ready. That's for Ray Charles. Give it up for Ray Charles and his beautiful legacy. And thank you, Ray Charles, for living.

I got so many people to thank tonight. First I want to start it out with Taylor Hackford. Taylor, you took a chance, man. I mean that love for Ray Charles was deep, down in the earth. It's cracked open. And it's spilling. And everybody's drowning in this love. I thank you for taking a chance on this film. And thank you for waiting 15 years to get me to do it. I want to thank you.

I want to thank Crusader. I want to thank my agents. I want to thank Rick Kurtzman. I want to thank Kim Hodges. I want to thank Steve Smooke. I want to thank my managers, Jaime King and Marcus King. Let's live this African American dream. It's beautiful. I'm glad I'm with you. I ain't never leaving you. I'm glad I'm with you.

I got a chance to meet a whole lot of people, experiencing this. And other people I want to thank, I want to thank my sister. Four feet, eleven inches of nothing but pure love. I want to thank my daughter for telling me just before I got up here, "If you don't win dad, you're still good."

I'm just ... I see Oprah and I see Halle. I just want to say your names. I want to talk to you later. Both of you. Because Oprah got -- allowed me to meet somebody by the name of Sidney Poitier. And, yes, Sidney Poitier said, "I saw you once. And I looked in your eyes and there was a connection." And he says, "I give to you responsibility." So, I'm taking that responsibility tonight. And, thank you, Sidney.

This is probably going to be the toughest part of this speech. My daughter shares my grandmother's name, "Marie." My grandmother's name is Estelle Marie Talley. She's not here tonight. And this is going to be the toughest part. But she was my first acting teacher. She told me to stand up straight. Put your shoulders back. Act like you got some sense.

We would go places. And I would wild out. And she would say, "Act like you've been somewhere." And then when I would act the fool, she would beat me. She would whup me. And she could get an Oscar for the way she whupped me because she was great at it. And after she whipped me, she would talk to me and tell me why she whipped me. She said I want you to be a southern gentleman. She still talks to me now. Only now, she talks to me, in my dreams. And I can't wait to go to sleep tonight because we got a lot to talk about. I love you.