Cate Blanchett won the best actress Oscar on Sunday for her turn in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" while Matthew McConaughey won best actor for his role in true-life AIDS activist drama "Dallas Buyers Club."

Blanchett, who was the clear frontrunner for the award, beat fellow nominees Amy Adams ("American Hustle"), Sandra Bullock ("Gravity"), Judi Dench ("Philomena") and Meryl Streep ("August: Osage County").

The 44-year-old Australian actress, who perfectly portrayed a New Yorker who suffers a riches-to-rags turn when her husband's financial scheme unravels, made a point of thanking Allen for choosing her for his "extraordinary screenplay."

"Thank you so much, Woody, for casting me. I'm truly appreciative," she said.

Allen rarely attends awards ceremonies and was not at Sunday's Oscars.

Blanchett also said it was especially poignant to win the award this year, given the "extraordinary performances by women."

"Perhaps those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films, with women at the center, are niche experiences: they're not," she said.

"Audiences want to see them. And in fact, they earn money."

McConaughey, meanwhile, beat fellow nominees Christian Bale ("American Hustle"), Bruce Dern ("Nebraska"), Leonardo DiCaprio ("The Wolf of Wall Street") and Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave").

His turn as a homophobe who begins smuggling experimental medicine in Texas when he learns he is HIV-positive earned him his first nomination and Oscar, after a series of star performances in an increasingly serious series of films.

He quickly praised his rivals for the award, saying "all these performances were impeccable, in my opinion. I didn't see a false note anywhere."

After a nod to his late father -- "He's probably up there with a cold can of Miller Lite" -- McConaughey offered some straightforward advice for the crowd: "Just keep living."