Sidney Lumet, who's still directing films at age 80, received an honorary Oscar Sunday evening, honoring his "brilliant services to screenwriters, performers and the art of the motion picture."

It's the first Oscar for the actor-turned-filmmaker, whose 40-plus film directing credits include "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Network."

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Frank Pierson said Lumet's work "has left an indelible mark on both audiences and the history of film itself."

Lumet said he struggled to decide who to thank for the award.

"I realized that if I totaled up all of the 'thank you's that I've heard in all of these years I wouldn't be able to thank all of the people I want to," he said, "I'm not just talking about all of the glorious talents that I've worked with on both sides of the camera."

"But there are so many with whom I've never even worked that I owe so much." Instead, he thanked "the movies" as a whole.

"I know that sounds general, but it's very real to me," Lumet said. "I've got the best job in the best profession in the world. So I just want to thank all of it."

Earlier, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor won the adapted screenplay Oscar for "Sideways," marking the film's first win in this evening.

And "Spider-Man 2" won the visual effects Oscar, for John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara and John Frazier. Andrea Arnold's "Wasp" won the Academy Award for best live action short film.

Brad Bird's "The Incredibles" was named best animated feature film, defeating the No. 1 box office "Shrek2" at the 77th Academy Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.