HOLLYWOOD - The 86th Academy Awards show kicked off Sunday, as Hollywood's finest gathered after one of the fiercest Oscars races in years.

Host Ellen DeGeneres opened with a monologue making fun of the storms which hit California on the eve of the Oscars, threatening to rain on the pre-show red carpet parade.

"It's been a tough couple of days for us here. It has been raining," she said, addressing the global audience. "We're fine. Thank you for your prayers," she dead-panned.

She then made fun of Jennifer Lawrence, who famously fell while walking up to the stage last year to collect her best actress Oscar - and stumbled again as she arrived for Sunday's show.

"If you win tonight, I think we should bring you the Oscar," DeGeneres said.

But Lawrence lost the Best Supporting Actress Oscar to Lupita Nyong'o.

This is the second time in two years that Lawrence has tripped at the Oscars. 

This time, however, she told interviewers that it was an errant traffic cone that caused the unfortunate stumble. 

Read more here or click here for AsiaOne's coverage of the Oscars.

Click on the gallery below for more highlights from the 2014 Academy Awards red carpet.

(Photos: AFP, Reuters, Internet)