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Some of the night’s biggest surprises came in the technical categories. Best film editing and best picture nominations are awarded in tandem. Sunday “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” won the film editing prize, though the movie was not a best picture contender.

The team of Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, who also won last year for director David Fincher’s “The Social Network,” were clearly flustered by the unexpected win. Rather than stammer through an ad-libbed acceptance speech, Baxter said, “Let’s get out of here,” and scooted quickly off the stage.

The subtle effects supporting Streep’s winning performance as Thatcher won the best makeup award, eclipsing the showier troll and warlock creations in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” last year’s top-grossing movie.

Martin Scorsese’s love letter to early cinema, “Hugo,” had the most nominations going into Sunday’s ceremony, and it captured five,for visual effects, sound mixing, sound editing, cinematography and set decoration.

The visual-effects prize had been the last chance for the “Harry Potter” franchise to win an Oscar. But another beloved big-screen bunch, the Muppets, finally got their due at the Oscars when Bret McKenzie, of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, won best original song for his catchy ’70s power-ballad parody “Man or Muppet.” Earlier Muppet movies had been nominated for four music Oscars but lost each time.

“I grew up in New Zealand watching the Muppets on TV. I never dreamed I’d get to work with them,” said McKenzie, who joked about meeting Kermit. “Like many stars here tonight, he’s a lot shorter in real life.”

Pixar had its first bad year ever. “Cars 2” Was not nominated as a best animated feature contender; that prize went to director Gore Verbinski’s surreal lizard Western “Rango,” starring Johnny Depp.

Pixar’s short nominee “La Luna” lost to “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” the first film ever adapted from an iPad children’s app.

• This story includes information from the Associated Press.