Oscars: J. K. Simmons, Patricia Arquette win best supporting actors

Los Angeles: J. K. Simmons and Patricia Arquette won their first Academy Awards here Sunday night when they were bestowed with the Best Performance by an Actor and Actress in Supporting Role for their work in "Whiplash" and "Boyhood" respectively.

In "Whiplash", Simmons plays a music teacher, who motivates his students through fear and humiliation. His performance was nominated alongside Robert Duvall ("The Judge"), Ethan Hawke ("Boyhood"), Edward Norton ("Birdman") and Mark Ruffalo ("Foxcatcher").

Arquette's portrayal of a divorced mother struggling to make a life for herself and her two children, pipped other nominees like Laura Dern for "Wild", Keira Knightley for "The Imitation Game", Emma Stone for "Birdman" and Meryl Streep for "Into the Woods".