The Australian editor has been nominated twice for an Academy Award, but left empty handed on both occassions.
And at Sunday’s Oscars, Sydney’s Lee Smith was awarded the Oscar for editing the World War II epic Dunkirk.
Accepting his award on the 90th Academy Awards stage in Los Angeles, he proudly stated: ‘This is the most awesome thing that can happen to a guy like me!
Australia’s big win! Dunkirk editor Lee Smith takes out Oscar glory for editing the WWII epic… but will Margot Robbie win best actress for I, Tonya?
Lee was up against editors from Baby Driver, The Shape Of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and I, Tonya.
‘I mean, ‘Dunkirk’ was truly the most amazing film and I’m very fortunate to have worked on it,’ he continued, after thanking Dunkirk director Christopher Nolan.
‘Chris is an editor, himself. I mean, he doesn’t handle the actual equipment and I’m very, very happy for that, Lee joked.
He also gave a special thanks to his wife and daughter and his editorial assistants and colleagues at Warner Brothers.
Lee was pipped as Australia’s best chance of Oscar glory, despite actress Margot Robbie being nominated for biopic I, Tonya.
His front runner Oscar status was confirmed last month when he won the American Cinema Editors award for Dunkirk.
History shows 23 of the last 27 ACE winners won the editing Oscar.
Lee has been nominated twice before, for The Dark Knight in 2009 and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World in 2004.
Lee’s biggest threat was fellow Australian Paul Machliss who was so close to the action editing on the set of Baby Driver a small cart was built to hold his editing equipment so he could wheel it from location to location.