In 1936, the Academy Awards expanded the awards to include those for supporting roles. The Best Supporting Actress award is for those actresses who have smaller roles in featured show. Often new actresses or those never previously nominated are found in this category. The award is also referred to as the best performance by an actress in a supporting role. The winner is selected by the Academy membership.http://www.filmsite.org/bestsuppactress.html

Mo'Nique took the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2010 for her role of Mark in the movie Precious. Mo'Nique played the role of Mary, the abusive mother of Clareece "Precious" Jones played by Gabbie Sidbie. The movie highlights thestruggle of the Harlem teen who is pregnant with her second child and trying to overcome hardships in her life and the previous abuses.

In Mo'Nique's acceptance speech she thanked Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey for helping to boost the movie, her entire BET family for their support and her husband for showing her how to forego doing the popular thing and doing whats right. She ended her speech with God bless us all. Mo'Nique's acceptance speech is available for viewing here

In months before the Oscar night, Mo'Nique was asked if she ever expected Precious to be the big deal that it has been. Mo'Nique's response was, "We didn't do it for it to turn out to be a big deal, we did it for it to change peoples' lives. And I think whenever you do something that you totally surrender to, the universe gets involved." http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/11/12/monique-interview-precious-oscar-politics/

Mo'Nique wins the 2010 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Mo'Nique in thanking Tyler Perry and Oprah and says that because they touched the movie so many watched it.

The Nominees for the award were

Penèlope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrik, Up in the Air
Mo’Nique, Precious

Enjoy the Red Carpet Photos of each of the Best Supporting Actress nominees for Oscars 2010 below